CONTENTS

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2008

Volume 4 Issue 1 www.reliableplant.com

Features
Cover Story
6 CASE CLOSED
There is no denying maintenances role in the
success of Batesville Casket Companys award-
winning plant in Indiana.
Special Report
30 THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF AN
EQUIPMENT BILL OF MATERIAL
This article provides guidelines for ensuring
availability and accuracy of the EBOM data
required to support work order planning and
execution.

Applied Reliability
34 MOTOR TECHNOLOGY
IN DIAPHRAGM PUMPS
Diaphragm pump performance is critical to
plant operation. However, many plants view these
pumps as commodity items and invest in underper-
forming platforms.

Focus on Lean
36 SPELLING LEAN O-E-E
Mike Verdin continues his discussion on the
marriage of overall equipment effectiveness and
lean techniques.

6 CASE CLOSED
Editorial
2 EDITORS COLUMN
Paul V. Arnold comments on retirements and
attracting the next generation of skilled workers.
4 THE EXPONENT
Drew Troyer says reliability and flexible manufac-
turing must learn to coexist.

18-28 ADVISORS
Our dream team of subject matter experts provides
guidance on maintenance management, planning and
scheduling, machinery lubrication, CBM, people
management and reliability leadership.

Departments
16 Supermarket 44 News and Analysis
41 Calendar 48 Web Resources
38 Spotlight 50 Safety Report
40 34 40
42
Reliability in Action
Reliability Forum
52 Safety Notes

www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 1

 EDITOR
GO RECRUIT THE
BEST OF THE BEST
I am amazed at how some manufac-
turers approach the shortage of
skilled workers and the recruitment of
the next generation of maintenance depart-
ment personnel.
Baby Boomers are beginning to retire, and
the number of departures in upcoming years
will be substantial. This will create consider-
able pain for the industrial sector and the
country as a whole. Whats the solution?
In my job at RP, I travel around. I talk to
plant and corporate leaders. I read their local
papers. I see the relationships their compa-
nies have with schools in their area, and with
their elected representatives in government.
More often than not, the solutions I see
and read about are weak and short-sighted.
The focus is heavily on recruiting and devel-
oping the sub-par students, the dropouts,
the at-risk kids, the young men and women
who dont fit in a traditional school envi-
ronment, the former gang members, the
ones who have had run-ins with the law, etc.
I am, by no means, against recruiting
and/or hiring these kinds of kids. Many of
them are indeed looking for a chance and a
future, and manufacturers can provide that.
These kids can be some of a companys
hungriest, most focused employees.
My issue is that some manufacturers
appear to stop there. Its as if they are
resigned to their fate as employers. Doing so
leaves industry with an inferiority complex (we
cant compete with other career options). In
some respects, it works to reinforce the old
stereotype of manufacturing as a dead-end,
low-paying, grunt-work career.
Why not also pursue the solid students,
the Deans List kids, the problem-solvers, the
leaders, the artists, the creators, the differ-
ence-makers, the achievers, the computer
geeks, the communicators, etc.? Why not go
after the best and the brightest?
Manufacturers and the entities that work
to support them including schools, commu-
nities and government agencies must think
differently to not only address the employ-
ment issue but also that of U.S. industrial
competitiveness. To succeed, we need the best
workers with the best skills on our team. That
skill set should be more comprehensive today
than it was 10 or 20 years ago.
To recruit the best, plants need potential
workers to see the industrial environment in a
new light. At 21st-century plants, technical
work is more about computers, robotics and
cutting-edge technologies and less about
wrenches and hammers. Its heavily based
on solutions, business and bottom-line
economics. (Read Drew Troyers Exponent
columns to get a glimpse of the future of
maintenance and reliability.)
Plants need to promote manufacturing as
a fascinating career. Think about the grade
school classes that visit your plant. The kids
are wide-eyed. They think its cool. Why dont
they feel the same way when they are in high
school? Market yourself as an employer and
as a neat place to build a career.
Manufacturers must promote the fact that
they pay excellent wages. Allen-Edmonds
Shoe Corporation chairman John Stollenwerk
once told me, There are smart kids working
in the service industry for low wages when
they could be making double that in manu-
facturing. Amen.
Finally, stress the power of education. A
manufacturing career does not preclude the
best of the best from also pursuing college.
Just ask Toyota. It encourages its workforce to
continually learn. It reasons that a better
educated person is a better employee. Toyota
not only wants team members to obtain a
high school diploma, but to continue on to a
community college or four-year degree.
The next generation of skilled workers is
out there. Its up to you to go get them.
Paul V. Arnold, RP editor
2 January - February 2008
Volume 4 Issue 1 www.reliableplant.com
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EDITOR
Paul V. Arnold
Drew Troyer
CRE, CMRP
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www.reliableplant.com
THE EXPONENT
RELIABILITY & FLEXIBLE
MANUFACTURING MUST
LEARN TO COEXIST
BY DREW D. TROYER, CRE, CMRP
We hear much about how important
process reliability is to achieving our
objective of lean manufacturing, but
what about the sometimes contrary goal of
flexible manufacturing? As a consultant in
the field of process reliability, I regularly
encounter interfunctional conflict regarding
the sometimes opposing goals of main-
taining flexibility and reliability in the
manufacturing process. Sales and marketing
wants to offer the customer unlimited
customization, both in terms of product and
delivery, which increases the variety and
frequency with which the manufacturing
machines are set up. This, of course, can
reduce availability, yield and quality the
three elements of overall equipment
effectiveness (OEE), or overall business
effectiveness (OBE), as I prefer to view it.
Can the goals of flexible and reliable manu-
facturing coexist? I believe that with foresight
and planning, the answer is yes. Lets explore
this further.
DREW TROYER
Drew D. Troyer is a champion of effective reliability
management and passionate about helping
companies find hidden profits inside their plants.
As a highly sought consultant to Fortune 500
manufacturing firms, award-winning columnist
and teacher, he understands both management
expectations and plant-floor realities. Troyer
is a Certified Reliability
Engineer (CRE), a Certified
Maintenance and Reliability
Professional (CMRP), and
chairs the standards
committee of the Society
for Maintenance and
Reliability Professionals
(SMRP). Contact Drew at
800-597-5460.
4 January - February 2008
Generally, machines are most reliable
when they are run at constant speed, under
constant load and under constant condi-
tions. For example, highway driving yields
the longest life from a passenger car
whereas short-tripping, frequently starting
and stopping the vehicles, reduces life.
Managers and engineers who are respon-
sible for the machines in manufacturing
plants prefer to minimize starts, stops and
changeovers for the very same reason
starting, stopping and retooling machines
reduces process reliability. However, for
many manufacturers, customers are
expecting to have it their way, and sales
and marketing executives are screaming
give the lady what she wants! This
required flexibility, in terms of the product
and its packaging and logistics and distri-
bution, is the new business as usual for
many manufacturers.
The desire to turn back the clock to a
simpler time when customers simply bought
what the manufacturer put in front of them
and be happy to get it is a pipe dream. In
todays environment of micromarketing, the
ability to customize the offering to meet the
varied desires of different customers isnt
just an optional differentiation strategy, its
a necessity for survival. As manufacturing
pros, we must adapt. Complaining about
the disruptions customization causes will
fall on deaf ears if customization is required
for the firm to survive and thrive.
The demand or flexibility in manufac-
turing will increase, not wane. At the same
time, we must be reliable. This is a tough
challenge. Here are some survival tips to
minimize interfunctional conflict between
your sales/marketing and manufacturing
organizations.
www.reliableplant.com
 1) Take plant and equipment design seri-
ously. If youve read my columns, attended
my classes or utilized me as a consultant,
youve no doubt heard me pontificate about
the importance of designing equipment for
reliability, maintainability, operability and
minimized life cycle cost. A major component
of operability is the ease with which you can
change over from product to product
design the equipment to enable you to
quickly change over from one product to the
next and stabilize production as quickly as
possible. Also, design in a modular fashion so
its easy to retool the machine for future
generations of products. This reduces your
time to market for new products. An old
approach to equipment design that gets you
functional at the lowest up-front cost is likely
to yield undesirable results when its time to
make any changes.
2) Develop risk-adjusted pro forma
profit models. Regrettably, sales and
marketing organizations often commit to
delivering product customization, pack-
aging customization and/or special
delivery provisions before checking to see if
the production plant and equipment is
capable. In some cases, it simply cant be
done, which causes you to lose face with
your customers when you have to tell them.
In other cases, you can deliver on the
promises, but when all the costs associated
with retooling, setting up, stabilizing
production, yield reductions, etc., are
added up, its a losing proposition.
Customization is supposed to give you a
competitive advantage, not send you into
bankruptcy. Risk-adjusted pro forma profit
models (if enforced) require that you eval-
uate the impact of a decision across all
functions that influence the value stream.
If you must customize to survive and you
cant make a profit doing so with your
current plant and equipment, see Item 1.
3.) Lock down your SOPs. Deming taught
us that managing variability is the key to
quality and reliability. Sorry, folks. For most
of us, reducing variability in the products we
make and/or the way in which we package
them is no longer an option. So, we need to
reduce variability by applying single minute
exchange of die (SMED) principles and
locking down your operational effectiveness
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
by standardizing and documenting your
practices, and by supporting your team with
training and knowledge logistics solutions
that give them the knowledge and informa-
tion when and where they need it.
4) Communicate. Most of the waste in
organizations does not occur within the
functional silos (sales, manufacturing,
supply chain, etc.) but in the connection
points. Manufacturing acts locally, sched-
uling a shutdown without considering
commitments to your customers. Sales and
marketing acts locally, committing products
to customers that the manufacturing
process cant deliver. Plant and equipment
designers act locally, without fully consid-
ering how their decisions will influence
manufacturing effectiveness or your ability
to satisfy customers. Procurement acts
locally, purchasing from the low-cost
supplier without considering the impact of
raw material quality and/or delivery
performance. To uncover the waste thats
created between functional groups, it must
be understood and modeled. This requires
communications and leadership to drive the
business to act locally but think globally.
Two business imperatives flexibility and
reliability how can they coexist? For
many industries, the answer is simple: You
must do so to survive. The demand for
customization will increase. The winners
will deliver it, and do so reliably. Reliability
professionals should not fight the trend
toward customization. Rather, do your
part to enable it! To the victors come the
spoils: increased return on net assets and
rising share price.
BRING DREW TO YOU
Want to supercharge your knowledge
on lean manufacturing and/or effective
plant reliability management? Want to
make a bottom-line impact in 2008?
You can accomplish both by inviting
Reliable Plants Drew D. Troyer to speak
at your event or company meeting.
Drawing on his personal plant experi-
ences and MBA along with an
entertaining and spirited style he has a
unique ability to challenge and inform
professionals at all levels.
For more details, contact Stacey
McCauley at 800-597-5460, ext. 121.
5
 COVER STORY
BY PAUL V. ARNOLD
A good plant mainte-
nance department, in
some respects, is like a
good professional football referee.
If we do our jobs right, nobody knows
that we even exist. So says George Doll, the
maintenance manager at Batesville Casket
Companys assembly plant in Batesville, Ind.
In that quote, nobody is truly somebody. For Batesville, it is the
customer a family who has ordered the final resting place for a
loved one. The customer expects the Batesville casket, which has
been manufactured and personalized specifically for the departed,
to arrive at the funeral home on time and defect free. That is a chal-
lenging task considering the order was placed the previously day.
You dont buy a casket off the rack not in this age when
Americans cherish individuality and seek memorialization. People
want to be remembered for who they were and what they stood
for. Seventy-five percent of all Batesville products are personalized
based on a list of standard and non-standard customer requests
(exterior color, exterior etchings, handles, interior color, fabrics,
embroidery, etc.). A family can honor granddad, a graduate and
supporter of the University of Texas, by ordering a casket with a
burnt orange-colored metal exterior, the school logo etched into
silver corner panels and Hook em, Horns embroidered into the
fabric on the inte-
rior lid. It will be created
on a single production line
(where every casket is different
than the one in front of it and the one
behind it) and delivered in 24 hours.
Customers expect more out of us, says plant
manager Todd Dennis. As the demands increase, that
increases the pressure on our systems.
Not meeting expectations means the pressure got the best of
plant systems. Equipment failed. Downtime led to late delivery.
Equipment performed improperly or out of specifications. That
led to a quality problem. If caught on the plant floor, a quality
issue means rework and perhaps late delivery. A problem caught at
the funeral home means customer dissatisfaction. When you fail,
the customer knows who you are maybe not by name, but surely
6 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
 Assembly superintendent Joe Dwenger
believes in the power of maintenance.
 COVER STORY
THE DIRT ON
BATESVILLE
Plant: Batesville Casket Company
plant in Batesville, Ind.
Plant size: The assembly plant encom-
passes 300,000 square feet.
Plant employment: Approximately 600
associates, including 34 in the mainte-
nance department. The maintenance
total includes 29 hourly associates and
five salary associates. The facilities
group has an additional three workers.
The plant is an open union shop.
Employees can opt, if they choose, to be
members of a union.
Products: The facility manufactures
bronze, copper, stainless steel, steel
and hardwood caskets.
Production: The plant completes one
casket every minute of a production
shift.
FYI: Batesville Casket Company is an
operating unit of Hillenbrand Industries,
which is also based in Batesville, Ind. ...
The Indiana assembly plant won an
IndustryWeek Best Plants award in 2006
and was the Great Lakes Region winner
of the Association for Manufacturing
Excellences Award for Manufacturing
Excellence in 2007. ... Batesvilles sister
plant in Manchester, Tenn., was the
national winner of AMEs Award for
Manufacturing Excellence in 2006.
Mike Wroblewski (left), Batesville
Casket Companys lean sensei, pores over
some production data witth an operator on
the stamping line.
by function. Just ask the football ref who
faces catcalls and iceballs after blowing a
ruling on a decisive play.
If you dont fulf ill your responsibili-
ties, says company lean sensei Mike
Wroblewski, you are digging a deep hole
for yourself.
At this Batesville facility, which houses
nearly 1,000 primary production assets,
Dolls department of multi-craft profes-
sionals keeps the pressure in check. Uptime
on the 300,000-square-foot plant floor is
exceptionally high. As a result, quality and
first-pass yield are high. Lost cycles and
returns are very low.
Did the customer get what he or she
wanted at the end of the day? says main-
tenance superintendent Butch Flaspohler.
That is the final judgment.
The Batesville maintenance organization
is transparent to the customer. They have
no clue who George Doll, Butch Flaspohler
or any of the 32 other department
associates is, and thats good. However,
co-workers in the plant and the 123-year-
old corporation are aware of the teams
contributions to system reliability, product
flow, daily continuous improvement, lean
8 January - February 2008
operations and a glowing reputation
within industry. And, thats good.
Maintenance and reliability excellence
was a factor in the site winning an
IndustryWeek Best Plants award in 2006
and a regional title in the Association for
Manufacturing Excellences 2007 competi-
tion for top-performing plants.
Achievement was, and still is, a major
undertaking.
DNA AND DISSECTION
Batesville is the No. 1 casket maker in
America ($659 million in sales in 2006),
and its been on top for a long, long
time. The company pins its success to
an environment built on continuous
improvement.
Change has been a part of Batesvilles
culture for 123 years. Its in our DNA, says
Dennis. We have this burning desire to
make things better.
Whether it relates to equipment,
processes, products or logistics, the
company cant stop tinkering.
Well look at something and say,
Overall, its working well. But what isnt
working well? Well peel back the onion
and look at the non-value-added compo-
nents, says Dennis. Many companies
would say, Thats working well. Why break
it? We dont approach it that way. We
really want to get better every year. It takes
that kind of attitude. Sometimes it is
painful, but it is what makes us special.
The reason is simple: You can be proac-
tive and see the opportunities that reside
in change, or be reactive and be forced
into change as the result of internal or
external pressures. Its a matter of
control. Control the plant assets, or they
will control you.
Change and continuous improvement
are formalized in the companys lean
manufacturing and reliability enhance-
ment initiatives. Woven together nearly
two decades ago, the bonds grow stronger
every year.
Lean and reliability go hand in hand,
says Doll. To be lean, you have to run your
production line in a flowing nature. If you
have unplanned downtime or breakdowns,
it interrupts the flow. That then affects
www.reliableplant.com
 COVER STORY

Plant manager Todd Dennis

says, Change has been a part
of Batesvilles culture for 123
years. Its in our DNA.
Photos by Bill Krider, Krider Photography The facility in Indiana manufactures bronze, copper, stainless steel and steel caskets.

your quality, productivity, everything. You

really need to control your breakdown
frequency and the amount of time that you
are forced to go into a down or standby
mode. You could say productivity continuity
is the most important part of a good lean
organization.
That isnt just maintenances stance.
You cant have lean without reliability,
says Dennis. If we dont have a reliable
system, your attention turns to fixing equip-
ment and processes. Youre fighting to
become stable. Lean is really built on
stability.
Other gauges of reliability excellence and
lean enablement are:
Uptime: Critical areas of the plants
production process boast 99 percent
uptime. In less-critical areas, the figure is 96
percent.
Lost cycles: Takt time is the heartbeat of the
assembly line. On a normal day, the line
advances every 56.5 seconds. Missing 56.5
seconds of production time means a cycle has
been lost. The product is behind schedule.
Losing 56 seconds of production is
considered a catastrophic failure here, says
assembly superintendent Joe Dwenger.

10 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

At most plants, 85 percent efficiency is
fine. Here, its 100 percent. There is no
daily allowance for not making 100
percent. We hold maintenance to that very
firmly. They respond well to it.
The plants lost cycle percentage rate is
less than 1 percent.
The mix of proactive/reactive work:
Proactive work comprises 75 percent of the
total work load in mission-critical areas. In
not-as-critical areas, the mix is 50/50.
Most of the reactive work is done on
smaller, throwaway items, says reliability
engineer Steve Noel. You can throw a lot
of money at a $50 gearbox and still not
know when its going to quit. We dont pay
as much attention to small stuff that can
be handled with a quick change.
Reactive work formerly constituted 75
percent of all maintenance activities.
Quality: Quality prevents us from
having good flow. I have as many quality-
related lost cycles as I do any equipment
downtime. I dont want to pass any bad
product through the plant, says Dennis.
Whats the quality-maintenance link?
If you have constant interruptions with
breakdowns or malfunctioning equipment,
it either damages the product or interrupts
the flow enough that the operators dont
perform their job in a standard work
setting, says Doll. If you interrupt flow,
you will interrupt quality.
FIVE-WHYS AND RCA
The Batesville maintenance organization
uses a variety of strategies call them lean,
reliability or just plain smart to measure
up and make things better on a daily basis.
Perhaps its most effective method is
unleashing the brainpower of its team
members. Hourly and salary associates are
encouraged to think:
critically to determine fact-based answers
to plant-floor issues; and,
creatively to develop innovative solutions
to plant-floor needs.
Individuals and small groups use five-why
analysis sheets and root cause analysis (RCA)
principles to get to the root of a problem.
We had used fishbone diagrams, but
we found the five-why approach to be a
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
little more efficient for us, says Flaspohler.
When you are done with the exercise, you
have a much more factual answer.
The finish system went down, causing a
loss of 70 cycles. What happened? Use the
five-why analysis to figure it out.
Why did the equipment fail? The circuit
board burned out.
Why did the circuit board burn out? It
overheated.
Why did it overhheat? It wasnt getting
enough air.
Why was it not getting enough air? The
filter wasnt changed.
Why was the filter not changed? There
was no preventive maintenance schedule to
do so.
When we arrive at a cause, we perform
a root cause analysis on it and create a
permanent fix so it doesnt happen again,
says Doll. We want to focus on fixing the
system, not just removing a symptom.
Team members say the five-why
approach must be employed whenever an
issue leads to a loss of five or more cycles.
Reliability engineer Noel heads up the
investigation, as Doll says, if there is even
a hint that this will be a repeated break-
down.
DEEP ANALYSIS
Maintenance leaders apply critical
thinking to dissect the plant landscape and
determine the best ways to use its limited
resources (manpower, time, attention,
technology and budget).
Our focus needs to be on what is most
important, says Doll.
The plant performed a formal criticality
analysis to determine the most important
and costly equipment and processes.
We know what equipment has to func-
tion, what has to be maintained, in order
to keep product flowing, says Doll. That
is measured by physical and financial
impact.
Cost plays a mighty role in the degrees of
severity. Lost cycles are very costly from the
paint transfer point through the end of the
assembly process. Here, maintenance takes
a hit as high as $125 per lost cycle. Fifteen
dollars, however, is the price tag for a lost
cycle in the fabrication department.
11
 COVER STORY

The facts and figures the interplay of cost
and asset performance dictate the main-
tenance battle plan.
I have a spreadsheet listing each piece
of equipment and the amount of cycles
that it has cost me during the month, along
with the related dollar figures, says Doll.
You can pick out if there is a particular
piece of equipment that is causing a
problem. You can then direct reliability
work on it.
It also helps to determine whether the
asset is best served through proactive
means (preventive maintenance and/or
predictive maintenance, and to what
degree) or reactive means (run it to
failure).
Tied to that, maintenance has also
performed criticality analyses for
manpower. You only have so many man-
hours in a day. How are you going to use
them? The process established parameters
and led to a better understanding of value-
added work vs. non-value-added work.
If you have people running around
looking at individual rollers on a conveyor,
you are going to eat up your manpower,
says Doll. Contrast that with having a
team working to improve how the product
goes across that conveyor or eliminate
potential quality issues along that
conveyor. You get more return from your
dollar investment. You can improve quality
and product flow.
By-products of this work have been
improved planning and scheduling, and
reduced overtime.
Another analysis, this one targeting
preventive maintenance (PM), affected
manpower and asset care strategy. The
department had prided itself as a heavy
supplier of PM activities. Formal studies
determined that many pieces of equipment
were receiving too much attention through
PMs. Instead of performing a task every six
weeks, facts might point to a 12-week
schedule as more appropriate.
Are you lean when you are doing all of
that extra work? I dont think so, says
Doll. I think for PMs today, we run as
good as or better than we did before. The
previous way was bogging us down.
CREATIVE THINKING
Maintenance associates also use creativity
to conjure up a better way. On a daily basis,
operations employees ask Dolls team to
engineer neat solutions to quality, produc-
tivity, safety and ergonomic issues.
This isnt about installing a pull chain for
a light or fan (a frequent former request).
Smaller components are inserted into the
casket in the wrong direction. Maintenance
designs a go/no-go gauge (a poke-yoke
device) that makes it virtually impossible to
place the part incorrectly.
It is difficult to see if dust from cotton
fabric is building up inside a machine.
Maintenance creates a Plexiglas window to
ensure visibility and recognition when
buildup occurs.
A machine has a substantial harmonic
issue. Maintenance makes an innovative
support system to stop the vibration.
Casket lids pop up at a final assembly
station. Maintenance rigs up a sand bag
on a pulley to keep the lids down.
An operator must reach down to grab
parts. Maintenance builds a fillable bench
that puts product at the right height.
The goal is a low-cost, lasting solution,
not a pricey, stainless steel monument.
Tool makers, CAD technicians and
members of the sites Engineering Services
Group are some of the valuable resources
to maintenance technicians in these and
other instances.
The challenge is to make things simple,
says Dennis. Its ideas and complex inge-
nuity that allow you to achieve simplicity.
Manufacturers are forced to be creative. It
comes with the business.
Creative solutions and those that are the
result of hard-core critical thinking are
documented in a Daily Improvement Target
Countermeasure Analysis sheet. A DITCA
provides a before and after explanation
of an improvement project. It outlines the
problem, symptoms, root causes and
countermeasures, and lists all of the asso-
ciates who played a role in the fix.
The people fill out their own forms,
take their own pictures and document all
of their own savings, says electrical engi-
neer John Busek. Every Friday, we have a
meeting where people who completed a
DITCA that week present their case study.
They are recognized for their work.
Improvements can be small or grand.
Batesville, a company with strong
sustainability goals, has benefited from

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TALE OF THE TAPE: DITCA VERSUS DITKA

Name: DITCA (Daily Improvement
Target Countermeasure Analysis)
Nickname: The form
Claim to fame: Associates at the
Batesville Casket plant in Batesville,
Ind., have submitted thousands of
DITCA forms since its creation in the late 1990s (500 to 750 per year
is common). Batesville saved more than $1 million annually from
2002 through 2006 from DITCAs.
Quotable: Every single day, a team leader or a backup team
leader should come up with an improvement, says assembly super-
intendent Joe Dwenger. It doesnt have to boil the ocean. It could
be a very simple idea. The form that these people will use to capture
and share this before and after improvement is the DITCA form.
Name: Ditka (Mike Ditka)
Nickname: Da Coach
Claim to fame: Mike Ditka is one of only two
men to have won a Super Bowl as a player
(Dallas Cowboys), assistant coach (Dallas) and
head coach (Chicago Bears). A tight end for 12
National Football League seasons, he was enshrined into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He had an NFL coaching record
of 121-95.
Quotable: Those who live in the past are cowards and losers.
If you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you
can get it done.
If you dont play, then dont pick up a paycheck.
If you can make history, take a shot at it.

12 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

 TRADESMEN PROVIDE
REALITY CHECK TO KAIZEN TEAM
The Batesville, Ind., casket plant has
been doing kaizen events for years. These
events can be a few hours to five days in
length, depending on the complexity of the
issue being examined.
Complex issues can elicit a range of
complex solutions from charged-up
members of a kaizen team. For that reason,
George Doll places tenured veterans from
his maintenance department on those
week-long improvement squads.
They bring common sense, a reality
check, to the group, says Doll. If
someone on the kaizen team says, lets do
this, and its so far off or expensive to do,
my estimators provide a real-world idea of
cost and time.
That knowledge comes from working
several decades in plant maintenance.
projects that have fixed compressed air
leaks, conserved water and reduced elec-
trical consumption. Busek has directed a
switch in plant lighting from mercury
lamps to high-tech fluorescent bulbs.
This will improve lighting and save a bundle
of money.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING
Other saves are more dramatic. The
Batesville maintenance organization
answers the call when needed. Its quick-
response, pit-crew mentality goes great
lengths to restore flow and ensure
customer satisfaction.
As stated earlier, production and quality
incidents (pressures temporarily beat the
system) mean downtime and lost cycles.
Every minute down is a loss. Lean has
decreased buffer inventory levels to a point
where a five-minute failure creates signifi-
cant backlash. This has the potential to
negatively impact the customer. What are
you going to do?
Take care of the problems as quick as
they come. Do not let them linger, lean
sensei Wroblewski answers in a philosoph-
ical tone.
The result is orchestrated in a way that
would make a NASCAR crew chief proud.
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
Since we dont have a shutdown period
anymore and we run continuously with the
exception of a holiday, there is a very limited
time in which to take machinery out in order
to rearrange or move it, he says. These
guys help to stabilize that kaizen team to at
least understand what it would really take
to do what they want to do. That way, they
are aware of all of the ramifications.
Doll says his guys also help kaizen
members to understand what the mainte-
nance team personally can and cant do.
They know the capability of the elec-
trical or mechanical systems, he says. If
we want to make alignments after hours,
they know what it is going to take from a
manpower perspective. They know how
much of the team needs to be involved
with it.
Assembly superintendent Dwenger calls it
simply amazing.
The minute something goes down, I
have three to five maintenance people
converge on the spot and begin the
process, says Doll. They quickly examine
the problem. If they cant solve it, addi-
tional layers of support are brought in.
People are on site, on radios, on
computers. We have a central trou-
bleshooting desk that provides expert
advice. The process moves quickly until
they reach a solution. When you are a
member of this crew, you are not an island,
you are a team.
Operators are active participants in the
process, taking on investigative, technical
and logistical roles to get the machine back
up and running.
The key to reliability isnt just that the
processes are capable, says Dennis. It is
also that when something gets out of
adjustment, how do we react?
PROACTIVE PUSH
The pit crew drill is impressive, but not
used nearly as much today as five or more
years ago. Predictive maintenance (PdM)
technologies, applied in conjunction with
or as the result of a criticality, five-why
13
COVER STORY

and/or root cause analysis, have the department in more of a

proactive mode.
Similar to the other ways in which it approaches reliability excel-
lence, Dolls team employs PdM as a tool to make fact-based
decisions.
We know exactly what the machine is doing, says Busek. Instead
of going out and replacing several components and hoping that you
hit the right one, we are able to narrow it down to the faulty or ques-
tionable component.
Noel oversees the PdM program, which includes infrared thermog-
raphy, vibration analysis, laser alignment and oil analysis. You cant
be lean without this stuff, he says.
Maintenance associates use the tools on the first shift (7 a.m. to
3:30 p.m.) and second shift (4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.) while the machines
are running in order to identify equipment and components that are
veering from optimal performance.
Subsequent corrections and replacements are done when product
isnt running either during a 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. maintenance gap
or the 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. third shift. Larger PMs and system changes are
also done during that graveyard shift.

PROACTIVE HIRING
Proactive maintenance isnt just about PMs and high-tech gadgets.
Its also the manner in which you solve your workforce issues. The
Batesville plant has a large percentage of workers with 25 or more years
of experience. The maintenance crew has its share of senior workers. A
wave of retirements began a few years back, leaving the plant with a
challenge: How do you sustain the gains when your key workers leave?

14 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

 Doll, a 40-year Batesville employee, got
proactive. Eight years ago, he began hiring
young workers to learn the ropes from the
old veterans.
We start them out with a lower grade,
but they progress into a full maintenance
man position, he says. It takes three to
five years from the time that we hire a new
person to the time that we feel confident in
him, that he can add to the team. Time
and experience, plus a large amount of
training, lead to safety, book-based know-
ledge and hands-on knowledge.
Doll says 30 percent of his team is in that
young, up-and-coming category.
There has to be a buildup of know-
ledge and experience and skills. It cant
happen overnight, he says. If you dont
start until your people are walking out the
door, you will never get out of that hole.
To accompany the spate of hirings, the
department has implemented standardized
work. Work orders now include standard
safety instructions for a given task. PMs will
outline items such as proper lubricant
types and amounts; greasing specifica-
tions; and correct belt types and sizes.
We have digital pictures with arrows
pointing, for instance, to where the grease
zerks are, says Noel. Some of that stuff
can be hard to find, especially if you are a
less experienced technician.
GROUNDED
Doll thinks highly of his maintenance
department and the work that crew
members do to eliminate system pressures
and enable unhindered production of a
very special product. They remain a quiet,
unknown entity outside of manufacturing
industry circles, and thats good. As a
team, this nobody is truly something.
In terms of delivering reliability to the
plant and to the company, I think we are an
8 to a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, he says. I
would like to think that we are a 10, but we
have some opportunities.
Ah, continuous improvement. That must
be the DNA kicking in.
We still have downtime. We can still
cut out some of the reactive work. We can
do more training, he says. We are not
there yet.
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
Plans for the near future include the
following:
make greater use of design for maintain-
ability and reliability principles when
purchasing new equipment;
enhance existing efforts to standardize
parts and reduce inventory in the tool
crib;
reduce the deadly waste of waiting by
making critical systems more robust; Doll
states, 250 production workers waiting
because the line is down that is a terrible
amount of waste
continue to hire people who will make a
difference to the plant and the company;
says Dennis, We want to hire people who
are problem-solvers
Achievements will be a major under-
taking, and they will be accomplished
through personal accountability.
That goes for managers.
The simplest and best way is to lead by
example, says Wroblewski. If you dont
have actions behind your words, then they
are going to be hollow. People arent going
to follow and they arent going to listen to
you. Leading by example is truly the best
way that any leader can help show that this
is the path that we want to take.
And, it goes for every associate.
We always have something in front of
us that we havent yet achieved. It keeps
pushing us forward, says Dennis. None
of us are paid for past performance. It is
dependent on what each of us does today.
The plant gained sizable ground in 2007,
the year after winning a major North
American award. The same should hold
true in 2008, the year after capturing
another big honor.
We have been recognized by industry.
That puts responsibility and pressure on
us, says Wroblewski. We must strive and
do all we can to live up to these accolades.
A final resting place? Hardly.
Our goals dont allow us to rest, says
Dennis.
The push to continuously improve can
be painful, but it is what makes Batesville
Casket Company so special.
15
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16 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
L.S. STARRETT COLD JET DRY ICE
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www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 17

 ADVISOR
MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
IS MAINTENANCE A SUPPLIER
OR PARTNER TO OPERATIONS?
Some organizations still view
operations as the customer and
maintenance as the supplier. In my
opinion, a customer-supplier relationship
between operations and maintenance under-
mines equipment reliability improvements.
If maintenance is the supplier, what is it
a maintenance department supplies? In the
organizations where maintenance is a
supplier to operations, maintenance
usually supplies time and material to oper-
ations. Since operations pays the bill for
the services supplied by maintenance,
maintenance will always be viewed as a
pure cost, not as a resource that can deliver
value.
I believe the mission of maintenance
should be to supply equipment reliability,
not time and material, and I dont think
operations can be the customer if you want
reliability from maintenance. The reason is
that operations doesnt understand equip-
ment as well as maintenance, and it usually
has a much more shortsighted view of the
production process. For example, if one of
your most critical pumps is down, would
an operations customer ask a maintenance
supplier to take extra downtime to align it
TOR IDHAMMAR
Torbjrn (Tor) Idhammar is partner and vice
president of management consultant firm
IDCON Inc. IDCON specializes in reliability and
maintenance management. He is responsible for
all IDCON projects and consultants, including
training and implementation support for
reliability management assessments, preventive
maintenance, operator-based reliability, planning
and scheduling, materials
management, and root
cause problem elimina-
tion. He is the author of
Condition Monitoring
Standards (volumes 1
through 3). Contact Tor at
800-849-2041 or e-mail
info@idcon.com. Also,
visit www.idcon.com.
to two-thousands of an inch? Would an If you are going to breed a partnership
operations customer listen to the mainte- organization in your plant, I think the
nance supplier that recommends that you following work processes are key items:
install oil sample ports on all hydraulics
Operations has a central contact point to
and lubrication systems?
screen and set preliminary priority on all
Common problems often created with a
work requests (notifications) coming in
customer-supplier relationship are:
from operations.
Maintenance becomes more reactive
Jointly decide what work to do and jointly
because few operators see or understand
prioritize work according to clear guide-
the long-term effects of lubrication,
alignment, balancing, preventive mainte- lines. A daily meeting (a maximum of 15
nance, etc. minutes) is the best way to accomplish this.
Jointly go through the backlog on a set
Operations usually likes to have mainte-
nance handy in case of a breakdown. interval.
Therefore, the amount of maintenance Maintenance informs work requesters on
people on a shift increases. the status of each job in the backlog.
Honey-do jobs that often arent neces- Jointly perform root cause problem elimi-
sary increase because maintenance is nation.
more readily available.
Jointly tackle equipment and process
Less preventive maintenance is done inspection. Operations and maintenance
because there is more focus on reactive have their own routes, but at least once a
work. month, execute the routes jointly with a
Some organizations have drawn this maintenance person and an operator.
system to an extreme with the kid in the Report the inspection results to the oper-
candy store with unlimited resources ations and maintenance supervisors.
mentality. Here, operations is the customer
but doesnt have to pay for any services
and has very limited responsibility for the
maintenance budget. In my opinion, if you
have a customer-supplier relationship,
operations should at least be responsible
for the maintenance budget.
THE PARTNERSHIP
I strongly believe maintenance, engi-
neering and operations should be partners
in production. Production reliability is,
therefore, defined as equipment reliability
(where maintenance and maintenance
engineering have primary skills) together
with process reliability (where operations
and process engineering have the primary
skills).
18 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
 ADVISOR
PLANNING AND SCHEDULING
CREW SUPERVISORS
RULE THE DAILY SCHEDULE
My preceding Reliable Plant
columns presented the six princi-
ples of planning and then started
presenting the six principles of scheduling,
now to arrive at the fifth scheduling prin-
ciple. These principles have built onto
each other, f inally arriving in the last
column at the creation of the weekly
schedule. Nevertheless, each principle
points out concepts that can help any
planning organization on its own. This is
even truer of the f ifth principle, which
states that the planning group does not
create the daily schedule. How about that?
The planners arent involved with the daily
schedule. More precisely, this principle
gives control of the daily schedule to the
crew supervisor.
This transfer of responsibility is primarily
due to the uncertain nature of individual
job estimates made by the planners.
Maintenance work isnt assembly line work
where industrial standards for motion and
actions can precisely determine time esti-
mates for individual work orders. Many
maintenance jobs on specific equipment
are performed less than a single time per
DOC PALMER
Doc Palmer, CMRP, has nearly 25 years of indus-
trial experience as a practitioner within the
maintenance department of a major electric
utility. From 1990 through 1994, he was respon-
sible for overhauling the existing maintenance
planning organization. The resulting success
played a role in expanding planning to all crafts
and stations owned and oper-
ated by the utility. Publisher
McGraw-Hill subsequently
sought out Palmer to author
the Maintenance Planning
and Scheduling Handbook,
first published in 1999 and
now in an expanded second
edition (2006). E-mail him at
palmerplanning@bellsouth.net.
year and rarely by the same craftsperson.
Even by moving each job up its own
learning curve with a good file system, I
still claim that job estimates are only plus
or minus 100 percent accurate. A job esti-
mated to be four hours long actually might
be worked in as little as one to two hours
or take as long as eight hours. (Anyone
who has ever worked on his or her own car
might agree with this.) Even so, the esti-
mates have a very even distribution of
accuracy, and a weeks worth of work typi-
cally averages out to be only 10 percent off
in accuracy overall.
The application of these accuracies
means the planning group can put together
a simple list of work orders as a weekly
schedule, but the daily schedule itself must
be managed each day. The planners must
work in the future while the daily sched-
uling activity must be managed in the
present. Daily scheduling isnt a planner
function.
To illustrate this point, consider the first
day of a typical work week (say Monday).
The crew supervisor used the estimated
times of jobs in the weekly schedule list to
create a daily schedule for individual crafts
personnel. However, by the middle of the
day, the supervisor notes that some of the
jobs that should be finished today look like
they will require some extra time
tomorrow. The supervisor also observes
that two jobs that were supposed to take
all day are almost complete. Whats more,
the supervisor decides to interrupt a lower-
priority job for a new urgent task that
operations insists cant wait until
tomorrow. The supervisor does have some
success by gaining an operator agreement
that another crisis could wait until later in
the week. Thus, the creator of Tuesdays
schedule must be aware of what is going on
with todays schedule.
20 January - February 2008
This is the perfect assignment for the
supervisor, who should be in the field most
of the day. This isnt so with the planner,
who should be in the office most of the day
creating future work plans.
Furthermore, remember that the plan-
ning function is to help the supervisor, not
take away all supervisor duties. In addition
to daily scheduling being a supervisor task,
assigning names is clearly a supervisor
responsibility. The supervisor knows who
called in sick today. The supervisor knows
who the best person is for this pump job.
The supervisor knows who needs more
experience with fans and should be
assigned to that job. The supervisor knows
who works best with whom and, vice versa,
who to keep apart from whom. (Ah, we
cannot escape the human element.)
Along with creating the daily schedule,
the supervisor must also manage the daily
schedule in respect to equipment work
permits. Requesting equipment clearances
from operations on a daily basis requires
precise knowledge of when the crew will be
available to work, so coordinating clear-
ances also falls best to the supervisor.
Finally, to emphasize the point, its the
supervisors responsibility to react to true
emergencies even to the extent of resched-
uling the entire crew and forsaking the
daily schedule, if necessary.
Go, supervisors! These people are crit-
ical to our maintenance success. Dont try
to eliminate them with planners. Instead,
provide them with role clarity in the plan-
ning strategy.
Schedule Principle 5: Crew leader handles
current days work
Daily schedule
Matches names to tasks
Coordinates resources, clearances
Emergencies
www.reliableplant.com
 ADVISOR
MACHINERY LUBRICATION
GOOD TO GREAT: TAKE A
HARD LOOK IN THE MIRROR
In his groundbreaking book Good
to Great, author Jim Collins takes
a critical look at companies that
have evolved to become great based on
their share price performance relative to
both the general market and a comparison
company operating in a similar market
under similar conditions. While the book
identifies many factors which contributed
to a company achieving greatness, one of
the most compelling arguments centers on
leadership and, in particular, what
Collins refers to as Level 5 leadership.
According to Collins, one of the key
factors that differentiates a Level 5 leader
of a great company from other key exec-
utives from companies who may be good
but did not make the grade as great is
personal humility. These people credit
others for their companys success and
blame themselves for small bumps along
the road to greatness.
Re-reading this book recently, I was
drawn to one section where Collins
describes a behavioral pattern of Level 5
leaders. He calls this the window and the
mirror. Based on his research, Level 5
leaders looked out of the window to credit
others for success and looked in the mirror
to apportion responsibility when things
MARK BARNES
Mark Barnes is vice president of Noria Reliability
Solutions. In this role, he and his team work on
numerous and varied projects in the areas of
plant audits and gap analysis, machinery lubri-
cation program design, oil analysis program
design, lube PM rationalization and redesign,
lubricant storage and handling, contamination
control system design, and lubrication and
mechanical failure investiga-
tions. As a Noria consultant,
his client list includes
Cargill, Alcoa, International
Paper, TXU, Southern
Companies, Eaton, BC
Hydro and Southern Cal
Edison. Contact him at
mbarnes@noria.com or
604-736-6243.
didnt go to plan. Conversely, charismatic
leaders from companies that didnt make
the grade as great had a tendency to look
through the window to blame other factors
for their lack of success and looked in the
mirror to take credit when things went well.
Having spent the past 12 years helping
companies improve their lubrication
processes and practices, my experience has
been that organizations and those challenged
with the task of leading lube improvements
fall into two similar categories:
1)those that look in the mirror and recog-
nize that there is room for improvement
while looking through the window for
solutions, and
2)those that look in the mirror and attest
that they have done some good things
while looking through the window for
reasons why they cant achieve world-class
lubrication.
Take, for example, the case of mines. By
their very nature, mines are dirty, dangerous,
difficult places to succeed at lubrication
excellence. But, is this really a reason for poor
performance or an opportunity for success?
In my opinion, it really depends on whether
youre a glass half full or glass half empty
type of person. With the right leadership
again, what Collins calls Level 5 leadership
theres no reason why a mine cant be truly
world class; its all a matter of how much you
really want to succeed.
In my career, I have met two types of
maintenance professionals at mines:
those that can rebuild a 16-cylinder diesel
engine with their eyes closed yet are not
willing to step out of their comfort zone
of blaming the heavy loads and dirty
environment in the mine for average
performance, and
those that are constantly seeking
improvement.
Take the example of the large diesel
engine I wrote about in my last column,
where improved filtration extended the
22
rebuild life from 14,000 hours to 50,000
hours. That took Level 5 leadership to look
outside of the current problems and chal-
lenges and seek opportunity rather than
accepting mediocrity as the norm.
The manager who doesnt make the grade
as great but is content with good (surely
having the skills, knowledge and experience
to rebuild the engine is good, right?) typi-
cally hides behind market conditions and
the pressure to produce more while cutting
maintenance costs as reasons why lubri-
cation excellence cant be achieved. The
Level 5 leader accepts this as a challenge and
looks at the mirror to ask what more can
we do while looking out of the window for
solutions to long-standing problems.
As another example, I frequently run into
discord between those charged with
performing lubrication tasks on a daily basis
and those who manage these activities.
Talking to the technicians or operators, I
often hear that management has no clue
and that nobody listens to the problems they
have been identifying for years. But when you
talk to a manager, what you hear is that our
people cause more lubrication problems than
anything else, and all they do is complain. So,
whos right? Does it really matter?
Whats required to resolve this impasse is,
again, a Level 5 leader one who is prepared
to listen to the concerns and feedback from
the shop floor and, where appropriate,
accept that change is needed (look through
the window) while asking themselves if there
could be a better way to procure equipment
or manage the maintenance or production
process to resolve the issues at hand (look in
the mirror). While its unrealistic to expect a
maintenance technician or operator to be a
Level 5 leader though some truly are this
type of leadership is a fundamental trait that
any successful maintenance and reliability
leader needs to succeed.
So, ask yourself, when it comes to world-
class lubrication, are you a Level 5 leader
one who aspires to greatness or are you
content with good?
January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
 ADVISOR
CONDITION-BASED MAINTENANCE
THE BASICS OF
MOTOR CIRCUIT ANALYSIS
Quite a bit of confusion exists on
the subject of motor circuit
analysis. The confusion is centered
on two issues:
1) The very name of the technology.
2) What this technology is capable of.
This article will focus on alleviating that
confusion with a discussion of the tech-
nologys capabilities and its proper name.
One of the biggest reasons why confu-
sion exists about the very name of this
testing methodology is the prevalent use of
three-letter acronyms (TLAs) in the condi-
tion monitoring industry. We have TLAs for
everything: CBM (condition-based moni-
toring), PdM (predictive maintenance),
RCA (root cause analysis), FFT (Fast
Fourier Transform), etc., etc.
It is the pervasiveness of TLAs that has
created this confusion around motor
circuit analysis. MCA can mean two
different things. Motor circuit analysis
(MCA) is often and easily confused with
motor current analysis (MCA), which is an
abbreviated version of motor current
signature analysis (MCSA). This is a
common mistake and one that has
ANDY PAGE
Andy Page is the director of Allied Reliabilitys
training group, which provides education in reli-
ability engineering topics such as root cause
analysis, Reliability-Centered Maintenance and
integrated condition monitoring. He has spent
15 years in the maintenance and reliability field,
holding key positions at Noranda Aluminum
(maintenance engineer) and Martin Marietta
Aggregates (asset reliability
manager). Andy has an engi-
neering degree from Tennessee
Tech and is a Certified
Maintenance and Reliability
Professional (CMRP) through
the Society for Maintenance
and Reliability Professionals
(SMRP). Contact him at
pagea@alliedreliability.com.
contributed to the confusion surrounding
the second common mistake. For the
balance of this article, the term motor
circuit analysis will be referred to as MCA.
The second common mistake lies in the
confusion around the capabilities of this
technology for condition monitoring and
testing. For those who have mistakenly asso-
ciated MCA with motor current signature
analysis, the belief is that the only type of
testing performed is on the motor current.
While a portion of this is correct, current
analysis is just a part of the total testing
barrage that is collectively known as MCA.
There is a second group of people that believe
MCA only pertains to measuring the motor
circuits resistance-to-ground characteristics.
This belief also reflects an incomplete under-
standing of the spectrum of tests covered
under MCA. While MCA does incorporate
these aforementioned testing techniques, it
also includes much more.
Before we go any further, let us clarify
the ultimate goal of MCA. The goal of
MCA is to ascertain the health of the
motor. This assessment is accomplished
through the detection of electrical imbal-
ances in the motor and the detection of
insulation degradation. The unbalances
create stray, circulating currents through
the motor. These circulating currents
create excessive heat and lead to acceler-
ated insulation degradation, ineff icient
operation and ineffective control tech-
niques (in some motor types). Insulation
degradation leads to shortened motor
life and can lead to unsafe operating
conditions.
To begin, let us break up MCA into two
major categories. The first category is
online testing, named because the tests are
conducted while the motor is operating
under normal conditions. The second cate-
gory is offline testing; tests are conducted
while the motor is de-energized.
24 January - February 2008
MCA online can be further split into two
categories current analysis and voltage
analysis. Current analysis is primarily
focused on the rotating components.
Loose or broken rotor bars, cracked end
rings, rotor eccentricity, misalignment and
coupling/belt problems are some of the
big-hitter failure modes detected in the
current signature. Power quality issues like
harmful harmonics, voltage imbalances
and under/over-voltages are among the
issues identified with voltage analysis.
MCA offline is most famous for the
resistance-to-ground measurement. But
other measurements make motor circuit
defects easy to find. Measuring electrical
characteristics like impedance, inductance
and capacitance tell the analyst plenty
about the condition of the windings.
Inductance is a great indicator of turn-to-
turn shorts. Capacitance to ground
measures the amount of winding contami-
nation (water, dirt, dust, etc.). Changes in
each of these affect impedance (total
resistance of an AC circuit). These charac-
teristics are measured phase to phase and
phase to ground and compared to each
other and to percent change from baseline
to identify motor circuit defects.
Some of the tests can serve as one-time
go/no-go types of inspection. Some must
be trended over time to understand the
defect progression. The best strategy is the
testing of motors on a set schedule. This
allows you to properly trend these charac-
teristics and gives the reliability program
the best conditional probability of finding
motor circuit defects.
All of the failure modes listed are very
real and create unplanned downtime. A
comprehensive, failure modes-driven main-
tenance strategy for electric motors
incorporates all of these test methods.
How many are you using to effectively
and efficiently ensure your operations
production capacity?
www.reliableplant.com
 ADVISOR
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
CAN PEOPLE CHANGE?
Have you ever run into an old
friend you havent seen in 10 or 20
years? Was that person dramati-
cally different from what you remember?
Maybe you recently attended a high school
reunion and saw some amazing transfor-
mations with your own eyes. One of the
highlights of these events is the award cere-
mony where individuals are recognized for
certain accomplishments since graduation.
Often, an award is given to someone who
exhibits the greatest degree of change.
These are the most entertaining because
they are full of surprises. Maybe the award
went to the successful CEO who used to be
a shy, quiet kid. Maybe it went to the
wealthy entrepreneur who barely made it
into community college. Im sure each of
you can tell a story about someone who
changed so much that you didnt even
recognize that person many years later.
So, that brings me to my question. Can
people really change who they are? Well,
yes and no.
I hold the opinion that people generally
do not change who they are. They may
evolve and adjust to a degree, but I believe
each person is unique, and each person
JOHN HA
John Ha is the president of Reliability Careers, a
provider of workforce solutions for the reliability
and maintenance industry. This business not only
provides traditional recruiting and sourcing serv-
ices for companies but is dedicated to help
clients with overall talent management, including
recruitment and selection, performance manage-
ment and coaching, and
employee development
and training. For indi-
vidual career-seekers, the
firm finds top-flight
opportunities in the
reliability and mainte-
nance field. Contact John
at 918-388-2438 or e-mail
info@reliabilitycareers.com.
maintains his or her identity through traits
and characteristics. In short, people are
who they are. However, I do agree that
people can improve certain skills and
knowledge through direct training or expe-
rience. The sooner that companies
understand and accept this, the sooner
they can move toward maximum produc-
tion and efficiency.
Unfortunately, I believe businesses still
largely operate on the assumption that
people can change who they are. This is
evident in how most companies manage
and develop their people. They waste an
incredible amount of time and resources
in an effort to change their employees.
Whether its trying to turn their best engi-
neer into a manager or their worst
salesperson into a better salesperson,
companies just dont give up. Their inten-
tions are genuine, but the outcome
remains predictable: failure.
Let me share an example that Im sure
will sound familiar to you. A client
recently initiated a significant employee
development program. It wanted to know
where its employees lacked suff icient
knowledge, skills or abilities so it could
develop and implement a customized
training plan to fix those deficiencies. As a
result, it designed a lengthy questionnaire
with questions such as:
Are you comfortable making presenta-
tions?
Do you prefer to work alone or in a team
environment?
Do you feel comfortable meeting new
people?
Are you detail oriented?
Do you care about the success of
others?
At first glance, it seemed logical. What
could be wrong with an initiative aimed to
26 January - February 2008
help employees improve themselves? If you
are uncomfortable making presentations,
doesnt it make sense that you should
attend a workshop on how to make effec-
tive presentations, especially if you happen
to be in sales? Or, if you are uncomfortable
meeting new people, wouldnt you benefit
from some communication course since
your job is that of a recruiter? After all,
dont the best companies provide training
opportunities to help their people improve
so they can be better at their jobs?
So, how did this client miss the mark?
The answer is simple and fundamental.
Skills and knowledge can be taught.
Behaviors cannot. And, this company was
trying to identify behavior issues so it
could f ix them. Companies that try to
change behaviors are wasting time and
energy. If you have a sales executive who is
uncomfortable making presentations, and
thats a significant job function, your job
as a manager should be to get that person
out of that role. It shouldnt be to try and
train that individual to be an effective
presenter. On the other hand, if a sales
executive isnt as current on the latest
technology behind your main product or is
uncomfortable with PowerPoint, you
should consider sending that person to an
applicable course.
If you are a manager, you should
provide learning opportunities for your
employees to gain the necessary skills and
knowledge to do their job. But, if
someone fundamentally does not have the
right behavior characteristics, your job
should be to move him or her to another
role where there is a better match. Too
often, managers take the easy way out
and either ignore the situation or come up
with a doomed training plan designed to
change those behaviors. Dont fall into
that trap.
www.reliableplant.com
 ADVISOR
LEADING PLANT RELIABILITY
ITS BUYER BEWARE WHEN
CONSIDERING M&R SUPPLIERS
In the past decade, plants have
seen maintenance and reliability
improvement as one of the best
areas to improve profits. This has led to a
proliferation of consultants, training
companies, hardware and software firms,
and other suppliers of products and serv-
ices. Just attend a trade show and youll see
a wide array of choices for the M&R pro.
While there are many reputable suppliers
and providers in the marketplace, there are
also plenty of charlatans and sharks. I
believe its important for you to be aware
of the possible environments that can exist
and make educated decisions. Some of the
top red flags are:
Companies that claim they can design an
engineered maintenance and reliability
plan for you but do not have a core
competency in a certain area. An example
of this would be a company that has little
to no knowledge and experience in predic-
tive technologies. As a consequence, the
company will drive your maintenance
strategy toward the only thing they under-
stand preventive maintenance. As RCM
theory explains, many failures modes and
equipment defects are best detected using
condition-based methods instead of the
TIM GOSHERT
Tim Goshert is the worldwide reliability and
maintenance manager for Cargill, one of the
worlds largest food and agricultural processing
companies (more than 1,000 facilities
worldwide). He is responsible for the companys
global reliability and maintenance initiatives
and is chairman of the companys Worldwide
Reliability and Maintenance Steering
Committee. Tim is an active
member of the Society of
Maintenance & Reliability
Professionals (SMRP) and
serves on its board of
directors. Contact him at
tgoshert@hotmail.com or
Timothy_Goshert@cargill.com.
traditional preventive tasks of repair
and/or replace.
Companies and others that claim they can
design your predictive maintenance
program for you, yet do not have suffi-
cient education and knowledge in the all
of the required technologies. They may
have some experience and knowledge in
one or two tools but not the entire spec-
trum needed for plants that have multiple
pieces of equipment with multiple failure
modes. These need to be detected by a
host of PdM tools.
Companies that claim to have a deliver-
able from their entire organization when,
in reality, only one person has any compe-
tency/experience on the subject. This may
be fine for a one-off project, but probably
insufficient as a strategic supplier for any
medium to large client.
Companies that claim public domain
ideas as intellectual property and likely will
try to claim work they do for you as their
own intellectual property. You must be
able to trust the firm with which you are
working. If this company intends to
further commercialize work it does for
hire, it should have the integrity to have
this discussion up front with you. It needs
to work with you on the level of scrubbing
that needs to be done instead of making
the work you paid for widely available to
competitors.
Companies that claim they helped a client
develop a reliability strategy when, in fact,
all they ever performed was tactical main-
tenance and reliability grunt work such as
equipment walkdowns.
Companies that tout business cases that
arent grounded in fundamental economic
theory (i.e. not factoring in the time
weight of money in any of the calculations
or just using cost avoidance calculations
that never will affect the bottom-line
profit and loss of the client).
28 January - February 2008
Companies that claim to have M&R
benchmark data but cant explain its
source, the sampling method, etc.
Companies that use gimmicks (acronyms,
names, phrases, etc.) to differentiate
themselves when their products are no
different than (or perhaps inferior to)
other products.
Companies that prey on uneducated
buyers. They create a brand name for a
product that infers it has a technology
included that it clearly does not.
Companies that negotiate a deal and
wont stand behind it because they didnt
understand their own cost structure
and/or distribution model or, worst yet,
just dont honor their commitments.
Companies that name drop your name
or company name with other clients in a
manner that misrepresents, exaggerates
or fabricates the relationship. They do
this to create an illusion of competence
in an area by associating their company
to yours.
Companies that fail to deliver on promised
product upgrades and enhancements.
Review their history and attend one of their
user conferences and talk to as many users
as possible. Dont just call their scripted
references.
The lesson in these examples is to do the
upfront research and education before
committing to anything. A prerequisite is
to be educated in the fundamentals and
details of the subject. Also, you should
complete a full market analysis of the
subject matter and uncover the exact
requirements that your company needs on
the subject. A detailed analysis of the total
cost of ownership is essential before you
make a supplier choice. The extra effort
and due diligence will save you time, money
and reputation.
www.reliableplant.com
 SPECIAL REPORT
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF AN
EQUIPMENT BILL OF MATERIAL
BY DOUG WALLACE
The main purpose of the materials
management organization is to
provide the right parts in the right
quantities at the right time. But where do
those material requirements come from?
Whether or not demand is predictable,
whether the materials are for production or
maintenance, the requirements are usually
generated from a bill of material (BOM).
Without a complete and accurate BOM,
decisions regarding material planning and
replenishment are often made in a vacuum,
resulting in excess inventory, stockouts,
expediting charges and expensive downtime.
For manufactured items, the BOM lists
all the raw materials, pieceparts and other
components required to complete a single
unit of an end item. An equipment bill of
material (EBOM) lists all of the compo-
nents of an asset, including its assemblies
A ((1))
B (1)
1) B (1)
B (1)
1) B (1)
This tree shows a product structure for Product 1.
and subassemblies. With a reliable EBOM,
a planner can determine exactly what parts
are needed. And in an emergency situation,
the EBOM provides valuable information
to craftsmen and others to ensure that the
right parts are identified and procured.
This article provides guidelines for
ensuring availability and accuracy of the
EBOM data required to support work
order planning and execution. This infor-
mation provides materials management
with one of the tools required to assure an
adequate supply of materials while main-
taining optimum inventory levels.
EBOM STRUCTURES
Figure 1 shows a product structure for a
generic item called Product 1. As shown
in the graphic, Product 1 has several
assemblies, subassemblies and compo-
Product 1
B ((1)) C (1)
E (3)
3) F (1)
(11)
1 type, the same total material requirements
computerized maintenance management
30 January - February 2008
nents, with different quantities of each
required. This structure could easily repre-
sent a typical manufactured item, or in this
particular case, even an equipment asset.
The associated EBOM could take several
different forms, but the most common are
single-level (a.k.a. spare parts list) and
multi-level (indented product structure).
Examples of each are shown on Page 31.
Single-level EBOM: Figure 2 represents a
simple single-level EBOM for Product 1. In
this type of BOM, each individual part that
makes up the asset is shown only once,
with the total quantity required to
complete the entire asset. This BOM type is
convenient for exploding material require-
ments for manufactured items, where
production requirements can be calculated
from a master production schedule. For
equipment, though, this structure does not
show the actual parent/child relationships
of assemblies, subassemblies and compo-
nents. This might lead a maintenance
planner to erroneously conclude that any
time this asset needed to be repaired or
replaced, all the items on the BOM might
be required. This is clearly not the case if
only a particular part of the asset needs
repair or replacement.
Multi-level EBOM: Figure 3 shows a
multi-level BOM that provides a better level
of detail for equipment assets. In this BOM
are shown, but the product structure is
indented to show parent/child relationships
between the components, subassemblies
and assemblies. Because of these relation-
ships, an indented structure takes a little
more effort to create and enter into the
www.reliableplant.com
 Part Quantity
A 1
B 2
C 1
D 2
E 6
F 2
Figure 2: Single-level BOM for Product 1.
Product 1 Quantity
A 1
B 1
E 3
F 1
D 2
B 1
E 3
F 1
C 1
Figure 3: Multi-level BOM for Product 1.
system (CMMS). However, it provides a
greater level of specificity when determining
which materials are required to repair or
replace a particular part of the asset. If the
CMMS supports a multi-level BOM, the
indented product structure is preferable.
Items that typically dont need to appear
in the EBOM are specialty tools, free-issue
material (primarily small hardware),
expense materials (rags, towels, etc.) and
personal protection equipment.
Determinne what data should be on the
EBOM: Some of the EBOM data will be
dictated by the CMMS based on the fields
available. Most systems support the
following elements that should be consid-
ered the minimum required:
CMMS part number
Description (properly formatted and in
sufficient detail to specify what is required)
Quantity per
Unit of measurement
Manufacturer
however, the RE should review it.
Manufacturers part number
In addition, the following data provides
valuable information that should be
included in the EBOM if available and
supported by the CMMS:
Preferred supplier
Suppliers part number
Authorized substitutes
Revision number/date and/or effective
dates
Estimated price
Gather the required data: This step often
leads to two interesting questions:
1) Who provides the data?
2) Where does the data come from?
The answer to the first question is fairly
simple. The data may come from a variety
of sources, but it is usually coordinated by
a reliability engineer (RE). It doesnt matter
who provides the data, as long as its accu-
rate. Before creating the actual EBOM,
Where the data comes from is much
more involved. The best source of EBOM
data is the original equipment manufac-
turer (OEM). The most effective means of
capturing EBOM information, especially

EBOM CREATION
EBOM creation is itself a process that
should be followed in a disciplined fashion,
and consists of several steps:
Determine which assets require an
EBOM: Over time, all assets should have an
EBOM. However, base the order of priority
for EBOM creation on the criticality ranking
of the assets. Every critical asset must have
an EBOM. All other assets should have one.
Develop them in order of priority based on
the criticality ranking as time, resources and
availability of data allow.
Determine what items should be on the
EBOM: In general, any spare parts or
components for which there is a reason-
able expectation of being repaired or
replaced as a result of a preventive mainte-
nance (PM) or corrective maintenance
(CM) work order should be included on
the EBOM. At a minimum, the EBOM
should reflect any item identified as a crit-
ical spare. In addition, the EBOM should
include any other materials used directly to
repair the asset, or any item for which it is
necessary or beneficial to have usage
history tied to the asset in the CMMS.

www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 31

 SPECIAL REPORT
for new equipment, is to request the equip-
ment manual from the OEM at the time of
purchase. Part numbers can be assigned to
components, and the data can be reviewed
and entered into the CMMS even before
the equipment enters the facility.
In lieu of data from the OEM, the equip-
ment supplier may also be able to provide
assistance in obtaining such documenta-
tion. Other sources of EBOM data may
include nameplate information; engineering
change notices (ECNs) or other redesign
documentation; work order history; or even
tribal knowledge from craftsmen, engi-
neers, operators or other experts familiar
with the equipment. If all else fails, it may be
worthwhile to track down other users of the
same or similar equipment to see what infor-
mation they may have. The most important
thing is not where the data comes from, but
whether it is accurate.
Enter the data in the CMMS: It is usually
at this point that the inevitable question
arises: Who is responsible for entering the
data into the CMMS? The correct answer
is Anyone with adequate knowledge of the
system and the skills required to enter the
data accurately into the required fields.
More often than not, the default answer
is materials management, which isnt
necessarily the worst thing. The materials
group is most familiar with the basic struc-
ture of the part master from entering
inventory items. They are also usually
familiar with the structure of the EBOM, or
at least the fields that need to be popu-
lated and the data that should be entered.
Depending on the CMMS, there may be
an option to automatically add parts to an
EBOM when they are issued against a work
order for a specific asset. This can be a
useful way to build and/or maintain EBOMs
based on actual material usage, but it can
also lead to degradation of EBOM data
integrity if not managed properly.
EBOM MAINTENANCE
Several types of events can necessitate
EBOM modifications. Once an EBOM is
created, it must be updated as necessary
and reviewed periodically to ensure its
continued accuracy. Consider the following:
Decommissioning: Whenever an asset is
decommissioned, the associated EBOM
should be deleted as well. As part of that
process, each item linked to the asset
should be reviewed to see if the item can be
deleted and/or if any remaining inventory
can be used elsewhere, sold or scrapped.
Design changes: Whether initiated by the
manufacturer or user, if equipment is
redesigned or modified, there is the possi-
bility that spare parts and components
have been upgraded or changed. Reflect
these changes in the EBOM to assure that
the correct materials are used. Any item
changed on the EBOM should go through
similar scrutiny as if the asset were decom-
missioned to determine if existing inventory
can be used up or if the item should be
deleted. This process helps avoid inventory
of unusable parts, which is often a major
contributing factor to excessive inventories.
Part substitution/standardization: As a
result of material availability issues, or as
part of engineering/purchasing best prac-
tices, there may be a need to authorize
parts that are suitable substitutes for an
EBOM item. There may also be opportuni-
ties to standardize similar parts across
multiple assets or plants within an enter-
prise. In these cases, update the EBOM to
reflect the currently acceptable parts that
can be used on the asset, including effec-
tive start and stop dates if the system
supports them.
EBOM review: The EBOM is one of the
principal tools used by the planner to prop-
erly plan work orders. As a result, the
planner is the primary user of the EBOM,
and, therefore, is in the best position to
monitor data accuracy. This can most effec-
tively be accomplished in one of two ways.
The easiest way is to make a cursory
review when an EBOM is accessed during
the planning process. This is a relatively
quick and painless way to identify obvious
errors in the EBOM based on the types of
materials listed or specific knowledge that
the planner has about the EBOM items. In
these cases, the planner will generally get
blanket authority to document and make
necessary corrections in the CMMS.
A more disciplined approach is to
perform periodic reviews of each EBOM in
much the same way as a storekeeper will
cycle-count his inventory. Specific EBOMs
are chosen, and typically the review is done
32 January - February 2008
in a more formal fashion by a review board
a group of people knowledgeable about
the particular asset (they may, in fact, be
the same individuals who provided the
initial input to the EBOM). The collective
wisdom of the board often provides
insights that the individuals may not have
themselves about any of the previously
mentioned issues.
EBOM METRICS
There are two primary metrics for meas-
uring EBOM effectiveness. With a robust
process in place, the data is easy to
capture.
EBOM completion: This is no more than
a measure of whether an EBOM exists in
the CMMS for each asset. The goal should
be 100 percent for all critical assets and 95
percent for others.
EBOM accuracy: Calculating EBOM
accuracy is a bit more complicated. It
usually reflects data captured during peri-
odic reviews, and the data often must be
maintained manually outside the CMMS.
The accuracy can be calculated on a line-
item basis or on the entire EBOM. In either
case, the target for critical assets is 100
percent (i.e. zero errors in the EBOM); the
target for other assets is 98 percent (i.e. no
more than one error in a sample of 50).
EBOM BENEFITS
The direct and indirect benefits of accu-
rate EBOMs can be difficult to quantify,
but arent difficult to delineate.
Fewer incorrect material purchases: By
utilizing the information contained in the
EBOM to generate purchase requisitions,
there is less of an opportunity for guess-
work, variation or errors in the
transmission of material requirement
data to suppliers.
Faster execution of planned work:
Accurate EBOMs reduce the amount of
time spent researching required materials.
This helps to streamline the planning and
procurement processes, which in turn
reduces the length of time required to
obtain the necessary parts to complete the
job. This allows faster execution of equip-
ment PMs or CMs and gets equipment
back on line sooner.
www.reliableplant.com
 Faster execution of unplanned work: An
effective EBOM provides craftsmen with
quick access to accurate part requirements
and descriptions in an emergency situa-
tion. Combined with a reliable inventory
control system, craftsmen can quickly
determine the on-hand quantity and loca-
tion of available parts in stock. Should
insufficient inventory be available, the
EBOM can also provide valuable manufac-
turer and supplier details to facilitate
expedited procurement.
Disposition of inactive inventory: Use
EBOMs to determine whether a non-
moving inventory item is required for an
active asset.
More effective reliabilitty engineering: Use
EBOMs to identify similar items or equip-
ment where individual materials can be
standardized or substituted.

EXTENSION OF THE BOM

In many cases, the CMMS will provide the
capability to do an inverse examination of
EBOM data. Rather than querying an asset
to see what parts are listed on the EBOM,
the system allows a query on a part and
displays all the EBOMs where it is listed.
This where used capability provides a tool
for determining the impact of decommis-
sioning and design changes on the
continued need for specific material items.
Also a feature of a robust CMMS, the
EBOM (or in some cases, another field in
the part master) will provide a flag to iden-
tify critical spares. These are items that
must be readily available to avoid signifi-
cant production losses due to downtime.

SUMMARY
As a rule, the RE is primarily responsible
for providing initial EBOM information
and all engineering-driven changes. The
planner is responsible for ensuring EBOM
accuracy. But the key to overall EBOM
effectiveness is to recognize that data
creation and maintenance is a collabora-
tive process that requires teamwork and
communication.
Doug Wallace is a materials management
expert for Life Cycle Engineering. To learn
more, e-mail dwallace@LCE.com, call 800-
556-9589 or visit www.LCE.com.

www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 33

 APPLIED
RELIABILITY
MOTOR TECHNOLOGY
IN DIAPHRAGM PUMPS
Named for a technique commonly
used on failing pumps, percussion
maintenance where a technician
beats on the pumps stalled motor with a
hammer or rubber mallet often indicates
motor deficiencies in a diaphragm pump.
Though it is impossible for the mainte-
nance department to predict when a pump
will stall, such maintenance techniques are
often the result of poor motor design.
Whether in the process, original equip-
ment manufacturing or industrial market,
diaphragm pump performance is critical to
plant operation. However, many plants
view diaphragm pumps as commodity
items and continue to invest in underper-
forming platforms. And with the purchase
price of diaphragm pumps comprising as
little as 5 percent of the overall cost of
Pump performance is critical to your
plants operations.
ownership, operating the wrong pump can
lead to significant financial losses.
There may be several reasons for
substandard performance, including appli-
cation demands, fluid composition, pump
specifications, compressed air contamina-
tion, air leakage, debris, and general wear
and tear. However, three of the biggest
complaints freezing, stalling and poor
energy efficiency are often due to insuffi-
cient motor design.
PROBLEM: FREEZING
Freezing is a chronic problem in many
applications, causing the motor to seize up
and fail. Freezing occurs as compressed air
expands, creating a severe decrease in pres-
sure. As the air returns to atmospheric
pressure, it turns extremely cold, freezing
any moisture in the air supply. This cold air
has been measured as low as minus-30
degrees, causing ice particles to accumu-
late and clog the motor area and muffler.
The ice buildup stalls the pump, and it
remains down until ambient air or another
device can melt the ice. Many facilities
develop workarounds, implementing space
heaters, hot water taps and other thawing
mechanisms. However, these efforts tie up
a plants maintenance team and require
additional resources.
The most effective solution is to utilize a
pump that exhausts air from the chamber
as quickly as possible. Diaphragm pumps
should not allow exhaust to go through
critical motor components, such as the
spool valves. When this happens, the
exhaust port becomes blocked with ice,
causing the motor to slow down or stop
34 January - February 2008
completely. Instead, the most effective
motor designs on the market today elimi-
nate pump ice-up by protecting the major
air valve from cold, wet exhaust air.
Internal components that divert the
exhaust air away from the major air valve
and into an expansion chamber dramati-
cally increase pump reliability and remove
the need for ice preventive devices.
PROBLEM: STALLING
Though manufacturers often claim their
products are unstallable, many pumps
on the market today do a poor job of
managing the pressure acting on air valves.
The best way to tell whether a pump will
stall is to look at its air valve design.
Conventional valves feature a balanced
design in which the valve is too evenly
weighted. Air valves with this design often
generate poor shift signals and, over time,
the valve centers with an equal pressure
differential on both sides. These pressures
cancel each other out and the air valve
does not shift, causing the pump to stall.
Many pumps are also susceptible to
stalling during restart. When fluid valves
are shut off, pressure in the pump equalizes
and it can be difficult to make the air valve
begin shifting again.
The best diaphragm pumps available
today eliminate air valve centering by
utilizing an unbalanced valve design. This
air valve design features a large diameter
on one end of the valve and a small diam-
eter on the opposite end, creating the
optimal pressure differential. Since the
valves are always biased toward one side,
they do not center out and stall the pump,
www.reliableplant.com
even under low air inlet pressures.
Unbalanced valves reduce production loss
and downtime by providing better shift
signals and delivering faster trip-over with
more flow.
PROBLEM:
POOR EFFICIENCY
Bad motor design also creates poor
energy efficiency. In diaphragm pumps,
this means underperforming seals and
valves. Many manufacturers utilize an O-
ring configuration on spools to prevent air
leakage, but this design often wears and
creates a poor seal, creating air blow-by
and reducing efficiency. Blow-by is also
caused by a metal-to-metal lapped-fit valve
design. This model utilizes a spool with a
slightly smaller diameter than the bore it is
in, creating a gap that allows compressed
air to escape. Air leaks past the valve
during operation in a dead-head condi-
tion, exhausting to the atmosphere and
significantly decreasing energy efficiency.
Buyers should be cautious when seeking
to increase efficiency. Even though many
manufacturers now advertise energy-effi-
cient diaphragm pumps, there can be more
than 40 percent difference among
competing brands.
The best diaphragm pump motors utilize
a positive seal on the valve spool created by
U-cups to maximize energy
Innovative designs and materials have
dramatically increased pump reliability.
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
efficiency. These prevent air leakage by
providing a positive seal as the valve shifts.
Additionally, seal points should be made of
solid materials (ceramic components are
often best), where applicable, to ensure
longer life. Special materials such as over-
molded sleeves should be utilized to
increase lubricity and reduce or eliminate
wear in the valving mechanisms.
Many manufacturers also put carbon and
glass into moldings to create a stronger
housing for the valve. These abrasive mate-
rials can migrate to the surface and rub
against the seals, decreasing seal life. The
best construction features over-molded,
pure materials with no abrasive fillers,
creating strong housings and good surfaces.
These and other features can save plants
hundreds of dollars each year per pump.
FUTURE OF MOTOR TECH
In years past, the main concern of manu-
facturers was flow rate, but that has begun
to change over the last five years. As plants
increasingly become energy conscious,
more customers better balance pump
productivity and air consumption. These
manufacturers continue to optimize motor
designs to get the most production out of
the least air volume.
Diaphragm pumps will continue to
emerge as viable continuous-duty pumps,
particularly in the process
industry. New materials,
technology and better
construction have elimi-
nated the perception that
these pumps are not as
effective as their counter-
parts. Innovative designs
and materials have
dramatically increased
pump reliability, effi-
ciency and durability,
and provided additional
chemical compatibility and
abrasion resistance.
This article was provided by
Ingersoll Rand, a diversified indus-
trial firm providing products, services
and solutions to enhance industrial
productivity and efficiency. To learn
more, visit www.ingersollrand.com.
35
 FOCUS ON LEAN

SPELLING LEAN O-E-E:

THE QUEST FOR UPTIME
BY MIKE VERDIN

Brian Kenny, the plant manager of Paulco, teetered on the I know it seems like a big hurdle, replied Linda, but there is
middle of a big picket fence. When does a career-making hope. We already decided that the Finntronics equipment was the
challenge turn into a career-limiting problem? Recently, he main focus since it is the true bottleneck (see Part 2, in the
and plant lean principles expert Linda Amoroso had been charged July/August 2007 issue, at www.reliableplant.com). However,
with finding ways to increase site output 15 percent to cover a based on the floor diagnostic study I did a few days ago, there is
sudden sales upside opportunity. waste that we can cut.
There were four little things getting in the way: Linda showed Brian the results of her floor study (Figure 1).
Wow! yawped Brian. Im getting hungry looking at that pie
1) They were maxed out on equipment output. and Im absolutely salivating at the Availability Waste slice! Lets
2) There was no time to buy equipment. eat that one first.
Agreed, replied Linda. But, let me show you some more detail
3) There was no time to hire and train new people.
(Figure 2) so that well know exactly where to go. You see, we
4) The increased shipments needed to start within a month. spend an awful lot of downtime (44 percent) in conversion setup.
Other than that, they were in great shape. Of course, we do, rejoined Brian. We have many products
Fifteen percent is a lot, exclaimed Brian. Its not like were run through the Finntronics in a given day. Youre not suggesting
dogging it now. Everything and everyone I have is giving their all. limiting our product line, are you?
No, no, nothing of the kind, responded Linda. Its not the
number of conversions we do, its the time it takes to do them.
70%
That is what we must attack. In past projects that I have led, when
Availability Waste we apply lean principles to setup reduction, we often save 50
Speed Waste percent of the setup time. And, look at this equipment qualifica-
Idle Waste Breaks tion data. That category accounts for 17 percent of our
Quality Waste
downtime.
Hold on to your horses. Thats a quality issue. We are not
Idle Waste Other
2% cutting there, asserted Brian.
Max Protection
8% Is it? said Linda. When was that qualification instituted?
4% 2% 14% Dont we have other product and machine measures during our
Figure 1. Finntronics Floor Study Results: Percent of Total Time process to ensure that the equipment is not drifting or producing
bad product?
21% Yes, I suppose we do, offered Brian. We put in that qualifi-
cation step when we installed the machines because there were
Corrective Maint
7% some start-up problems. I guess we never stopped it. And, yes, we
Qualification
do constantly check our product and equipment quality, so I see
PM Weekly your point. Why do we need to qual every shift?
44% 11% Conversion Exactly. So, now lets look at preventive maintenance.
PM Daily Whoa, partner! interjected Brian. Open any book on mainte-
nance and they will tell you that PM is vital. Do it early and often.
17% Well, youre certainly right, acknowledged Linda. I have
Figure 2. Downtime Components as Percent of Total Downtime looked in some books from the 1980s that told me just that. Yes,

36 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

we need to prevent episodes of corrective
maintenance, but can we change the way
that we do and trigger preventive mainte-
nance? Do we need to do weekly and daily
PMs like clockwork? Are they helping us
reduce overall downtime? Are they taking
too long? Maybe if we monitored the
condition of equipment parameters,
process outcomes, use hours, failure
patterns and so on, we could more effec-
tively use preventive maintenance. You
know, it could be more condition-based.
And, with conversion reduction techniques,
we could also reduce PM time when we do
choose to do it.
So, now lets look at the last piece,
corrective maintenance, at 21 percent. Do
we know how much of that time is actual
wrench repair time?
Well, sure, replied Brian, You just said
21 percent.
That is only one part of downtime,
continued Linda. What about the time to
do root cause diagnosis, or the time to
re-commission, or the time to recognize the
equipment is down, or the time to respond
once it is recognized? When we can break
maintenance into the 5Rs for recognize,
respond, root cause, repair and recommis-
sion then we can pinpoint effective action.
Now, look at this (Figure 3). This shows
our downtime by equipment copy. See
anything funny?
Yes, said Brian. Look at this. Three of
the four Finntronics are about equal but
Finn 2 is much higher in PM and corrective
hours. Hey, wait a minute thats the one
we put in late. There was no more room, so
we placed it in another part of the building.
Could there be some 5R issues there?
Sure, and possibly some training or
procedural issues as well, stated Linda.
Well, this all is great! Brian exhaled a big sigh of relief. Since
availability is 14 percent of total lost time and we can fix all the
35
downtime, Ive only got 1 percent to go to make the 15 percent!
30
Down Hours per Week

Lets take it to the bank!

25 Corrective
Well, said Linda hesitantly, its not that easy. Im projecting
20 PM Daily
PM Weekly we can cut maybe half of the availability loss. That leaves us with 7
15 to 8 percent to go. Tomorrow, lets talk speed loss.
Qualification
10 Conversion To be continued ...
5
Mike Verdin is a principal with Aveus, a global strategy and
0
operational change firm located in St. Paul, Minn. Contact him at
Finn Finn 2 Finn 3 Finn 4
480-231-3368 or at mverdin@aveus.com. To learn more, visit
Figure 3. Down Hours by Individual Equipment www.aveus.com.

www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 37

 PRODUCT
SPOTLIGHT
SPECTRONICS BORESCOPES
Spectronics Corporation introduced the COBRA and COBRA-
Plus, part of the Spectroline COBRA series of multi-purpose
borescopes. Both scopes feature a built-in ultraviolet LED and
white light LED that enable technicians to inspect and leak-check
hard-to-see components without expensive disassembly. The UV
LED is ideal for detecting refrigerant leaks, fluid leaks and surface
flaws, while the white light LED is great for component inspec-
tion. The CB-1000 COBRA has a 10-millimeter, 24-inch shaft,
while the CB-1036 COBRA-Plus has a 10-millimeter, extra-long
36-inch shaft for inspections requiring additional reach. Both
borescopes include a clip-on inspection mirror that provides the
added capability to detect flaws normally hidden from view.
Spectronics Corporation
www.spectronics.com
800-274-8888
A2 SPECTROMETER WITH ROAR
A2 Technologies released Real-time Oil Analysis and Reporting
(ROAR) for its portable Mobility Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR)
spectrometer series. The combination of A2 Technologies powerful
ROAR software and the innovative diamond-based oil sample meas-
urement in Mobility FT-IR spectrometers allows users of mining
equipment, fleet trucking, earth-moving equipment and power
stations to get accurate, real-time information about the condition
of lubricating fluids directly in the field. Featuring A2 Technologies
innovative ROAR capability, the novel spectrometers inform users of
the types of samples being analyzed, the results, any trends of the
analyses, as well as a comparison on earlier
analyses. The report is also capable of distin-
guishing and recommending steps to take
following the analysis.
A2 Technologies
www.a2technologies.com
203-312-1106
MIKRON INFRARED CAMERAS
Mikron Infrared, a LumaSense Technologies company, introduced two
thermal imaging products for the industrial sector. The Mikron M7640
is a fully radiometric thermal imager with a high-resolution 640 x 480
detector. With four times that of regular detectors, the M7640
provides more than 300,000 measuring points vs. 76,800 measuring
points for regular detectors. It offers real-time image recording, with
multi-spot temperature measurement and emissivity settings. The
Mikron M7816 battery-operated handheld IR camera is extremely
lightweight, with high-performance offering capabilities normally
found in more expensive models. The M7816 is a fully radiometric
camera that is ergonomically designed for comfortable one-handed
point-and-shoot operation. It features 160x120 resolution with a 60-
hertz refresh rate.
Mikron Infrared
www.mikroninfrared.com
800-631-0176
PCB 600A13
VIBRATION MONITOR
The Model 600A13 high-temperature industrial-grade accelerom-
eter from the IMI Sensors division of PCB Piezotronics outputs a
standard 100 mV/g (10.2 mV/[m/s2]) acceleration signal from its
integral charge converter, allowing it to be used with conven-
tional ICP sensor signal conditioners and data collection
equipment. With a temperature rating of 900 degrees Fahrenheit
(482 Celsius) at the sensor head, Model 600A13 can be used to
monitor vibration on gas turbines, engines, pulp and paper
machinery, steel mills, petrochemical pumps, or in applications
where elevated surface or ambient temperatures are a concern,
thus preventing the use of standard industrial accelerometers.
Model 600A13 is an all-hermetic system and is installed using a
two-pin MIL-type connection.
IMI Sensors / PCB Piezotronics
www.imi-sensors.com
800-959-4464
38 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
 TEMPIL IRT-16 RENISHAW
INFRARED BROKEN TOOL DETECTOR
THERMOMETER Renishaw halves the hardware and applies unique tool recognition elec-
tronics in the second-generation TRS2 broken tool detection system, making
Tempil, an Illinois Tool Works
precise laser checking affordable and practical for all kinds of machine tools.
Company, offers an infrared gun
Industry-first one box design combines the laser source and detection elec-
for non-contact measurement of
tronics in a single compact unit that is just 83 millimeters high x 38 mm
welding preheat temperatures. The
wide x 73 mm deep (3.27 inches x 1.50" x 2.87"), enabling easy mounting
Tempil IRT-16 infrared thermometer
outside the work zone, safe from collision. The TRS2 can detect a whole
measures temperature with a high degree
range of solid-center tools, including drills, taps, reamers, slot drills, stan-
of accuracy through reflected heat emis-
dard and ball-nose end mills, and gun drills. Detection typically takes only a
sions. The welder user simply holds the
second. The system can process
IRT-16, presses the trigger and aims the gun
tools as small as 0.2 mm. The
at the target metal. The temperature imme-
product can be fitted to every-
diately appears in degrees Celsius or
thing from mini drilling systems
Fahrenheit on the backlit LCD. The Tempil
to large machining centers.
infrared thermometer is available from its
distribution network, with a handy holster Renishaw Inc.
at no additional charge. Certification www.renishaw.com
through the National Institute of 847-286-9953
Standards and Technology (NIST) is also
available.

Tempil, an ITW company

www.tempil.com
800-757-8301
 RELIABILITY
IN ACTION

ULTRASONIC TECHNOLOGY FOR

LUBRICATION MAINTENANCE

The Reliability in Action department features case studies

submitted by our readers. To have your article considered for
inclusion in a future issue, e-mail it to parnold@noria.com.
This issues article was written by Dave Garner, the global solutions
development manager for Dow Corning Molykote:
A successful lubrication program rests on one basic concept: the
correct amount of the correct lubricant at the correct place at the
correct time. For anyone who has spent time in a maintenance or
reliability role, this is not as simple as it sounds. Today, ultrasonic
technology provides pump and system pros unparalleled insight into
the condition of the lubricant in an operating unit of machinery. As
lubrication quality diminishes during operation, friction creates
vibratory energy at a frequency around 30 kilohertz (kHz), creating
an ultrasonic beacon. Devices are available to measure and record
ultrasonic signals, and shift (or heterodyne) the ultrasonic signal
down into the audible range. This lets you hear the otherwise
inaudible, tell-tale signal of inadequate lubrication. Ultrasonic readings taken on a dry screw vacuum pump show a 7 dB
rise and subsequent return to normaal after bearing relubrication.
By taking periodic ultrasonic measurements and trending those
values, you can gain insight into the actual condition of the
machines lubricating system during operation. Typically, bi-weekly
or monthly ultrasonic readings are taken and trended. Ultrasonic
emission increases of around 7 decibels (dB) indicate the lubricant
has depleted to a point where friction has notably increased.
Ultrasonic technology is also useful in preventing over-lubrication.
As the grease is pumped in, ultrasonic levels reduce to a point at
which a squirt of grease results in a slight increase in dB. After the
slight increase, the dB level resumes its decline until an additional
squirt results in another slight increase followed by another decline.
Subsequent squirts of grease are added until the levels increase and
do not decline. This indicates that the bearing cavity is filled to the
point that the rolling elements are continuously plowing through the
new grease. Additional grease will over-lubricate the system.
Pros responsible for a facilitys lubrication face challenges ranging
from simple lubricant storage to procurement and application engi- Before After
neering. Often, fundamental concepts of lubrication get lost in the
cultural practices and plant procedures intended to provide relia-
bility. Ultrasonics help you deliver the correct amount of the correct
lubricant to the correct place at the correct time, extending
machinery reliability, reducing waste and minimizing costs. Infrared images taken before and after relubrication.

40 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com


MAINTENANCE/RELIABILITY/
PLANT ENGINEERING
2008 Lean, Reliable and Lubed conference
May 20-22, in Nashville, Tenn. Noria Corporation,
800-749-1400; www.noria.com.
2008 SMRP conference
Oct. 20-23 in Cleveland. Society for Maintenance &
Reliability Professionals, 800-950-7354; www.smrp.org.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Web-based course on Jan. 22-23. American Society for
Quality, 800-248-1946; www.asq.org.
Infrared Thermography
Level I, Feb. 11-15 in Phoenix; or March 10-14 in Tampa,
Fla. Level II, Feb. 11-15 in Phoenix; or March 10-14 in
Tampa, Fla. Level III, June 2-6 in Montpelier, Vt. Snell
Infrared, 800-636-9820.
Lean Plant Reliability Advantage
Feb. 20-21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, or April 8-9 in Las Vegas.
Noria Corporation, 800-749-1400; www.noria.com.
Machinery Lubrication
Level I, Jan. 29-31 in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Feb. 26-28 in
Chicago; or March 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn. Level II, March
25-27 in Las Vegas. Noria, 918-749-1400; www.noria.com.
Maintenance Planning and Scheduling
March 3-7 or May 19-23 in Charleston, S.C. Life Cycle
Engineering, 800-556-9589.
Materials Management Best Practices
Jan. 28-Feb. 1 in Charleston, S.C., or March 10-14 in San Juan,
Puerto Rico. Life Cycle Engineering, 800-556-9589.
THE CALENDAR
Oil Analysis 2008 International Manufacturing Technology Show
Level I, March 25-27 in Las Vegas. Noria, 918-749-1400; Sept. 10-13 in Chicago. Association for Manufacturing
www.noria.com Technology, 800-524-0475.
PM/PdM Best Practices Lean Enterprise
Jan. 29-31, March 25-27, May 27-29 and July 29-31 in Feb. 13-14 in Phoenix or March 10-11 in Pittsburgh.
Charleston, S.C. Allied Reliability and LCE, 918-382-9400. American Society for Quality, 800-248-1946.
Reliability Engineering Process Improvement and Change
Feb. 18-22 in Las Vegas. ASQ, 800-248-1946. Feb. 18-21 in Las Vegas. ASQ, 800-248-1946.
Reliability Excellence for Managers Sustainable Growth Through Lean Six Sigma
Feb. 26-28, April 29-May 1, June 24-26 and Aug. 26-28 in Feb. 11-12 in Phoenix. ASQ, 800-248-1946.
Charleston, S.C. Life Cycle Engineering, 800-556-9589. Team-Building, Coaching and Performance
Reliability Week conference Management
on-site training. MRA Institute of Management,
March 31-April 3 in Raleigh, N.C. IDCON, 800-849-2041.
800-488-4845.
Results-Oriented Maintenance
on-site. IDCON, 800-849-2041. SAFETY
Root Cause Analysis Confined Spaces
Feb. 5-7 or April 15-17 in Charleston, S.C. Life Cycle Feb. 5 in Lexington, Ky.; Feb. 7 in Charlotte, N.C.;
Engineering, 800-556-9589. or Feb. 18 in Los Angeles. NSC, 630-285-1121.
Ultrasound World IV
Electrical Safety
Jan. 27-30, 2008, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. UE Systems, Feb. 5 in Lexington, Ky.; Feb. 7 in Charlotte, N.C.;
800-223-1325. or Feb. 13 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NSC, 630-285-1121;
www.nsc.org.
PLANT MANAGEMENT/ Lockout/Tagout
PRODUCTION/OPERATIONS Feb. 5 in Lexington, Ky.; Feb. 7 in Charlotte, N.C.;
2008 AME conference or Feb. 13 in Salt Lake City. NSC, 630-285-1121.
Oct. 20-24 in Toronto. Association for Manufacturing Machine Guarding
Excellence, 224-232-5980; www.ame.org. Feb. 27 in Shreveport, La. NSC, 630-285-1121.
 RELIABILITY FORUM
THE CONSEQUENCES OF
PERIODICALLY FORGETTING
In this installment of Reliability
Forum, Noria chairman Jim Fitch
provides his insights on the topic of
machinery lubrication. He writes:
Lubrication requires constant attention.
Vigilance is perhaps a better word. Its easy to
forget the things we are not motivated to do.
Yet, rarely do we forget those activities we are
passionate about and desire to do. We are all
driven by instincts to seek out the things that
we enjoy or which give us a gratifying reward.
Because its hard to find happiness in
performing most routine maintenance
tasks, it is not uncommon for many of
them to become periodically forgotten or
perpetually postponed. Much of this is
actually conscious forgetfulness, similar to
procrastinating. Most likely, this occurs
due to a lack of rigor, which is due to a lack
of structure, measurement and incentive.
Delinquent preventive maintenance
(PM) tasks can become habit-forming,
CHECK OUT THESE ADDITIONAL RELIABILITY IN
ACTION ARTICLES ON WWW.RELIABLEPLANT.COM:
The fur flies when problems arise
Multiple tools diagnose a problem
Dont stop with condition monitoring
You get what you inspect
Multi-tool approach yields solid savings
Analysis reveals motor mount issues
Bridging Primavera, SAP to aid planning, scheduling
IR inspection helps avoid catastrophe
Finding, fixing problems in coal pulverizer exhauster bearings
A diagnostic exercise to fix problems
Persistence leads to hot-spot solution
Why trending is important to PdM
leading to even more delinquency and a
general cavalier attitude among mainte-
nance workers toward punctuality and
work quality. This maana mentality, or
constant procrastination, can lead to a
destructive downward spiral. Common
symptoms relating to lubrication include:
Widely fluctuating oil levels
Inspections that dont get performed or
reported
Filters and breathers that dont get
changed on time
Oil samples that never get taken or are
collected improperly
Oil that is not changed on time
Bearings that dont get a timely shot of
fresh grease
Periodically forgetting to perform the five
rights of lubrication (the right oil [or grease]
42
at the right place at the right time with the
right contamination control and at the right
operating temperature) is equivalent to peri-
odically accepting preventable failures. We
can and should do better.
THE MAANA
MENTALITY
When we perform root cause analysis after
a production-stopping machine failure, we
often find an unperformed routine mainte-
nance activity to be the heart of the problem.
While fingers can be pointed at maintenance
workers, the core of the problem is often
more fundamental relating to business
culture, lack of structure, ignorance and
behavior issues. In many cases, the opportu-
nities available from long-term commitment
(investment) in machine reliability are sacri-
ficed in favor of short-term expedience driven
by managements quarterly financial goals.
Maintenance tasks that target sustained
reliability must be aspiration-driven, not
crisis-driven. Reliability is a long-term strategy
by definition. The activities of maintenance
workers enable this, but they must be moti-
vated to excel at their jobs by having the
tools, education, metrics and reward struc-
ture to provide such excellence. Much of this
can be achieved by simple programmatic
changes that are not in place or not consis-
tently used. Often effective are routine
exception reports or alerts that direct urgency
and resources at non-conforming conditions.
Education is critical, as well. Of course, we
need to teach the specifics of how tasks need
to be performed, but greater value often
comes from understanding why. The mere
fact that education is being provided drives
home much of the message of why. People
January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
have a basic human need to rationalize the
purpose of their jobs. We are more likely to
embrace (accept) what we understand and
shrug off what we dont.

OVERTIME AND
THE POWER OF PAY
I started this article by stating that people
dont forget to do the things that are impor-
tant to them. If youre interested in football,
its unlikely youll forget to watch the Super
Bowl. On that premise, how can we build
similar motivational urges for maintenance
workers who have responsibility not to forget
many production-critical tasks on a daily
basis? We could penalize for forgetfulness,
but behavior experts tell us that negative rein-
forcement is a generally ineffective strategy.
Weve already discussed many important
elements to achieving this, but we have yet to
talk about a proper reward structure. Rather
than only stockholders benefiting from
machine reliability, how about those who are
charged with the responsibility of periodically
not forgetting?
Most of us are aware that overtime pay is
often viewed as a counter-incentive to relia-
bility; that is, the more reliability, the less
overtime pay. However, we could flip this
around to achieve a novel proactive OT
strategy. This is how it goes:
At the start of the work year, maintenance
workers get 500 hours of proactive overtime
pay. The workers get paid for the overtime
regardless; however, theres an interesting
catch. They have to work the 500 extra hours
only if needed to keep machines operating.
They now are stakeholders (like stock-
holders) in reliability and are motivated to do
everything possible to keep machines running
so they dont have to work the OT. The
company benefits from high asset utilization
and lower repair bills. The maintenance
workers benefit from pay for hours they
dont actually have to work.
There are probably other ways to achieve
similar shared benefit when machines are
vigilantly maintained. We cannot force
people to be motivated, although we can give
them many positive incentives.
Remember, we generally do only those
things we enjoy or that reward us.
To learn more about lubrication and to
access a host of articles written by Jim
Fitch,visit www.machinerylubrication.com and
www.practicingoilanalysis.com.

www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008 43

 NEWS AND
ANALYSIS

LEAN, RELIABLE AND LUBED

MORE THAN 1,500 FORECAST TO ATTEND
CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION IN NASHVILLE
More than 100 of the worlds foremost
manufacturing experts will provide case
studies and research reports on best practices
and solutions for industry at Lean, Reliable
and Lubed, the international conference
and exhibition created by Noria Corporation.
It will be held May 20-22 at the Nashville
Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
This event unites three very strong educa-
tion and exhibition programs:
Lean Manufacturing 2008
Reliability World 2008
Lubrication Excellence 2008
This is annually one of the most in-depth
and forward-thinking events for manufac-
turing professionals. Nearly 1,500 industry
leaders from 50 states and 30 countries
attended the 2007 conference and exhibition
in Louisville, Ky. The 2006 event in Columbus, The exhibition features more
Ohio, attracted 1,400 registrants. Noria than 150 suppliers.
anticipates record attendance in Nashville.
Noria is a global consulting, education and Coors Brewing Company
publishing company. It publishes Reliable Eli Lilly
Plant magazine, as well as Machinery Energizer
Lubrication and Practicing Oil Analysis. Ford Motor Company
We have built a tradition of bringing in
General Cable Corporation
some of the foremost minds in manufacturing
General Physics Corporation
and industrial technology as our speakers at
HON Company
this event, says Paul V. Arnold, editor-in-chief The conference features more than 100 case studies
of Noria Publishing. We anticipate having J.M. Smucker Company
and research reports.
our strongest lineup of speakers ever for Lean, John Deere
Reliable and Lubed 2008. Lyondell Chemical The exhibition area will have more than
The 2007 conference featured keynote Motorola 150 suppliers showcasing products and
speeches by NASA lead scientist Steve Orion Energy Systems industry solutions.
Squyres, Toyota vice president Mike DaPrile, Philip Morris USA To learn more about Lean, Reliable and
Juran Institute VP Kevin Campbell and the Raytheon Lubed 2008, to download a brochure and to
leadership team from the Hillerich & Bradsby Rio Tinto register online, visit www.driveyourplant.com.
Company. SEW Eurodrive GmbH Regular updates on confirmed speakers are
Some of the companies who had plant- available by visiting www.reliableplant.com.
Solvay America
floor and corporate leaders present case
Thomas & Betts
studies last year included:
U.S. Steel SESSION AUDIO
Albemarle Corporation RECORDING
Batesville Casket Company The 2008 conference in Nashville will also AVAILABLE
BC Rapid Transit Company feature workshops and several certification Visit noria.com/secure
Cargill examinations.

44 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

 VENTANA MEDICAL WINS AME AWARD
FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE
The Association for Manufacturing
Excellence named Ventana Medical
Systems plant in Tucson, Ariz., the
overall winner of the third annual Award
for Manufacturing Excellence at its
recent conference in Chicago.
In this award program, AME evaluates
nominated facilities against a wide
variety of criteria, including quality,
continuous improvement, productivity,
company performance, safety and
employee relations. The past winners of
the award are Webster Plastics plant in
Fairport, N.Y. (2005), and Batesville
Casket Companys plant in Manchester,
Tenn. (2006).
Five years ago, we started working
toward a goal of becoming one of the
leaders in implementing lean manufac-
turing within the biological manufacturing
environment and creating an organization
that thrives on productivity and creativity,
said Kendall Hendrick, senior vice president
of manufacturing operations. We are
thrilled to receive this national recognition
from AME, which represents the realization
of our goal and a terrific platform for our
continued growth and improvement.
Regional winners of the award were:
MANUFACTURERS LEANING ON LEAN
Ninety-one percent of manufacturers
surveyed by TBM Consulting reported
productivity gains over the past year and
identified continuous process improve-
ment (lean) as the top source of
improved productivity.
A total of 52.5 percent of U.S. compa-
nies surveyed cited CI/lean as a top
productivity enhancer. The figures were
just as strong at companies in the five
other polled countries (United Kingdom,
50 percent; Germany, 47.4 percent;
Spain, 75 percent; Brazil, 36.8 percent;
and Mexico, 36.3 percent).
Additionally, when asked to specify
the productivity/quality improvement
programs being used, 72 percent of
www.reliableplant.com January - February 2008
VP Kendall Hendrick accepted the
AME award for Ventana Medical Systems.
Southeast Region: Batesville Casket
Company, Manchester, Tenn.
West: Ventana Medical Systems Inc.,
Tucson, Ariz.
Great Lakes: Batesville Casket
Company, Batesville, Ind.
Southwest: M2 Global Technology,
San Antonio
North Central: HUI Manufacturing,
Kiel, Wis.
Canada: Eaton, Burlington, Ontario
To learn more about the award
program and to download an applica-
tion form, visit www.ame.org.
manufacturers identified kaizen as the
primary method, up 29 percent from last
year. Respondents also ranked lean (63
percent) and ISO certification (84
percent) among the top methods.
Unlike last years survey, in which new
product development/innovation was
identified as the leading source of
growth, manufacturers this time around
cited responsiveness to market (20
percent) as the primary engine for
growth.
Similar to last year, resistance to
change (40 percent) continues to be the
greatest barrier to productivity improve-
ment, followed by a lack of leadership
(25 percent).
45
TIMKEN EXPANDS
BEARING SERVICES
Timken expanded its industrial
bearing services capacity in response to
the strong long-term outlook for
demand and to extend the companys
heavy-industrial customer base. Timken
is investing nearly $6 million in this
project, which includes the opening
of a service center in Union, S.C., and
the expansion of its existing services
facility in South Bend, Ind.
Through its bearing services, Timken
provides customers with an integrated
maintenance program that covers the
total life cycle of bearings. Services
include mill maintenance management
programs, bearing remanufacturing,
chock bearing maintenance, and roll
and chock repair.
For more information, visit
www.timken.com/products/repair.
UE SYSTEMS SITE
OFFERS SOUND ADVICE
UE Systems launched a micro-site for
specialized technical information.
Sound Advice offers technical support
and resources to plant managers and
maintenance pros. It includes easy
access to information on topics such as
energy conservation and condition
monitoring. Technical info on this site
includes inspection tips, charts and
graphs, articles, Webinars and links to
other sites. Visit the site at
www.UESoundAdvice.com.
EYE ON THE PMI
The Institute for Supply
Managements Purchasing Managers
Index (PMI) provides a glimpse at the
health of the U.S. manufacturing
economy and is the headline statistic in
ISMs monthly Manufacturing Report
on Business. A PMI f igure above
50.0 indicates that the manufacturing
economy is expanding. Here is the PMI
from the past six months: December,
47.7; November 50.8; October, 50.9;
September 52.0; August, 52.9; and
July, 53.8.
 NEWS AND ANALYSIS
NORIA NAMES TROYER AS CEO AND RAMSEY AS COO
Noria Corporation, a premier
consulting, training and publishing
company in the field of equipment
reliability and industrial lubrication,
announced recently that Jim Fitch has
changed his title from chief executive
officer to chairman, Drew D. Troyer has
been appointed chief executive officer,
and Mike Ramsey has been appointed
chief operating officer.
As we put the finishing touches on our
best year ever, I want to redirect my
attention to consulting activities and a
couple of books that are long overdue,
said Fitch. I am blessed to be able to
pass down these executive duties to the
trusted hands of our two co-founders,
Drew Troyer and Mike Ramsey.
Troyer most recently served as presi-
dent of Noria Global Services. He
oversees all of Norias worldwide opera-
tions. He is the principal consultant in
Norias Reliability Management service
business, the senior editor of Noria
Publishing and an award-winning colum-
nist for Reliable Plant magazine.
CLOPAYS LIPPERT WINS KENTUCKY WORKER AWARD
Scotty Lippert, a planned maintenance
technician and lubrication systems leader
at Clopay Corporations plastic products
manufacturing plant in Augusta, Ky.,
recently was named the Kentucky
Manufacturing Employee of the Year
by the Kentucky Association of
Manufacturers. He was honored at an
awards banquet in Louisville.
Lippert is no stranger to readers of
Noria publications. He was featured in a
Reliable Plant cover story on Clopay in
November 2006. He also has written
technical articles for Machinery
Lubrication magazine and has been a
speaker at several Noria conferences.
Lippert is one of only 745 people
worldwide to achieve Machinery
Lubrication Technician certification and
has served as an extrusion operator,
team leader, supervisor and maintenance
Troyer Ramsey
Troyer is a Certified Reliability Engineer
(CRE) and Certified Maintenance &
Reliability Professional (CMRP), holds an
MBA and has completed post-masters
graduate study in reliability engineering
technology management, measurement
theory. He is active in numerous tech-
nical and industry societies, particularly
the Society for Maintenance & Reliability
Professionals (SMRP), where he has held
several leadership positions.
Ramsey most recently served as presi-
dent of Noria Publishing. He is
accomplished at both e-commerce and
conventional marketing, with nearly 20
technician during
his 21-year career
at Clopay. He now
fulfills a range of
r esponsibilities,
from planning,
scheduling and
supervising shut-
downs to setting
Lippert lubrication best-
practice standards.
Lippert helped design and construct a
lube room judged best in the world by a
panel of national and international lubrica-
tion engineers. He also helped develop
world-class lubrication systems that earned
two global awards and that since have been
duplicated by many other companies.
Clopay was the first company to earn
the John R. Battle Award for Excellence in
Machinery Lubrication and the only
46 January - February 2008
years of experience. His vision and
prowess have propelled the company to
great heights over the last 10 years.
Since 2001, he has launched three
leading industry trade publications and
four e-mail newsletters. He graduated in
1991 from Oral Roberts University with
a bachelors of science degree in
marketing.
Noria is a Tulsa, Okla.-based
company, with additional off ices in
Oklahoma City; San Antonio; Mobile,
Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; Indianapolis;
Philadelphia; Fort Atkinson, Wis.;
Chicago; Toronto; Vancouver, British
Columbia; Leon, Mexico; Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Tokyo; and Chester, England.
In addition, it has a network
of international aff iliates in the
Philippines, South Korea, Thailand,
Malaysia, India, Poland, Sweden,
Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Spain, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela,
Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica,
Bolivia and Colombia. To learn more
about Noria, visit www.noria.com.
company to win both the Battle and the
Augustus H. Gill awards. These honors
are administered by the International
Council for Machinery Lubrication.
Lippert has authored training books on
lube room construction. He also has
assisted a number of Fortune 500 compa-
nies in constructing lube rooms, and
concepts of lubrication best practices
implemented at Clopay are being utilized
by the U.S. Navy. Company representa-
tives from throughout the country and six
other nations have met with Lippert to
learn about Clopays lubrication program,
and he has earned numerous awards and
honors related to his expertise.
Im a believer that you are only as
good as the people who surround you,
said Lippert. You can start a program,
but if people dont believe in it, it will
not work.
www.reliableplant.com
WEB RESOURCES
HERES WHATS NEW AT
WWW.RELIABLEPLANT.COM
WEB EXCLUSIVE
ARTICLES
A VIEW OF MAINTENANCE
AROUND THE WORLD
This paper offers a view on the
current and future state of maintenance
as seen in each region of the world.
Among the topics are: regional
strengths and weaknesses in mainte-
nance; current trends in maintenance
management; and the value of mainte-
nance associations. Find this article by
searching Bradley Peterson.
WEYERHAEUSER RELIES
ON THERMAL IMAGING
If you can use a digital camera, you
can learn to operate a thermal imager.
Utilizing thermography could save your
company big bucks if you integrate it
into your overall preventive mainte-
nance strategy. Just ask Weyerhaeuser.
Find this article by searching Feniak.
ARMY REBUILDS HUMVEES
WITH FASTER APPROACH
The U.S. Army has cut the time it
takes to rebuild battle-damaged
Humvees with a new assembly-line
process at Red River Army Depot in
Texas. In 2004, Red River overhauled
about three Humvees per month.
Now, it averages 23 rebuilt Humvees
per day. Find this article by searching
Humvees.
SETUP TIME REDUCTION
AND QUICK CHANGES
In the lean toolbox, SMED/quick
changeover is one of the most
rewarding programs that a manufac-
turing organization can utilize. The
benefits include lower inventories,
faster deliveries and improved effi-
ciency. Find this article by searching
SMED/quick.
48
ALSO
JOIN THE CROWD
Every day, thousands of industrial
professionals visit the Reliable Plant
Web site. See what makes our site
(the winner of a 2007 APEX Grand
Award) so popular and so informa-
tive. Visit us today and every day at
www.reliableplant.com.
RELIABLE PLANT
ON THE ROAD
Get all the details on our industry
conferences, seminars and other educa-
tional events, including the 2008 Lean,
Reliable and Lubed conference on May
20-22 in Nashville, Tenn. Just click on
the Events link found near the top of
the home page.
E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS
Sign up for our free e-mail newsletters
Reliable Plant Mail and Lean
Manufacturing Journal which contain
helpful articles, white papers, case
studies, audio/video files and news. Just
click on the Subscription Zone link.
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
Ensure that you will continue to
receive Reliable Plant magazine by filling
out the free subscription form. Simply
click on the Subscribe/Renew link.
DREW TROYERS RELIABILITY
MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Lean Plant Reliability Advantage:
Linking Reliability to Financial and
Competitive Results will provide you
with a better understanding of the
strategic and behavioral components
of a successful reliability program, and
the analytical tools available to effec-
tively manage your business. Click on
the seminar ad on the home page for
full information, or click on the
Events link.
January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com
 SAFETY REPORT

INJURY/ILLNESS RATE FOR

PLANT WORKERS LOWER
Non-fatal occupational injuries BREAKING DOWN THE OCCUPATIONAL INJURY/ILLNESS REPORT
and illnesses in the manufacturing 2006 recordable non-fatal injury and illness case totals and case rates per 100 full-time
employees for individual segments of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Segments are
industry declined for the fourth determined by the North American Industry Classification System:
consecutive year in 2006, according to
final data released recently by the U.S. MANUFACTURING NAICS SEGMENT EMPLOYMENT TOTAL CASES CASE RATE
Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Wood products 562,500 47,600 8.5
Statistics. Primary metal products 464,200 42,500 8.6
A total of 859,100 cases were docu- Beverage, tobacco products 194,300 15,300 8.1
mented for 2006, which was 36,800 less Transportation equipment products 1,764,400 141,800 8.0
than in 2005 (895,900) and 82,800 less Fabricated metal products 1,539,300 119,300 7.6
Furniture and related products 561,000 40,800 7.5
than in 2004 (941,900). There were
Food products 1,470,700 109,900 7.4
973,600 cases in 2003. Of those 859,100
Non-metallic mineral products 510,600 37,500 7.1
cases, 777,000 were for work-related
Plastic and rubber products 798,200 55,200 6.8
injuries and 82,100 were for job-related
Machinery products 1,173,300 74,700 6.2
illnesses.
Leather and allied products 37,200 2,100 5.9
The total recordable injury and illness Elect. equip./appliance/component prods. 432,200 21,900 5.1
case rate for 2006 was 6.0 for every 100 Textile product mills 162,700 7,100 4.5
full-time workers. That is a 0.3 case rate Textile mills 200,000 8,600 4.4
improvement over 2005 (6.3) and a 0.6 Paper products 472,100 21,600 4.3
improvement over 2004 (6.6). Viewed by Miscellaneous products 647,800 26,500 4.2
plant size, case rates were: 7.1 for sites with Printing and related products 635,400 25,600 4.2
50 to 249 employees, 5.7 for those with Chemical products 863,200 25,600 2.9
250 to 999 employees, 5.2 for those with Apparel products 242,900 6,300 2.9
more than 1,000, and 4.5 for those with Petroleum and coal products 112,700 3,300 2.7
less than 50. Computer and electronic products 1,305,400 25,900 2.0
Fifty-five percent of the recordable injury Totals 14,150,000 859,100 6.0
and illness cases (3.3 out of the 6.0 total)
led to days away from work (1.4 cases per Overall goods-producing industry Employment Total cases Case rate
100 employees) or a job transfer/restric- Manufacturing sector 14,150,000 859,100 6.0
tion (1.9). Construction sector 7,562,600 412,900 5.9
Natural resources and mining sector 1,572,700 75,600 4.9
Of the 82,100 illnesses, 20,200 were for
Totalss 23,285,300 1,347,600 5.9
hearing loss, 9,400 were for skin
Service-providing industry totals 87,987,800 2,737,800 3.9
diseases/disorders and 2,900 were for
OVERALL PRIVATE INDUSTRY 111,273,100 4,085,400 4.4
respiratory conditions. All other illnesses
accounted for the other 48,900 cases. The
Percent of injuries by industry sector Percent of illnesses by industry sector
illness rate was 57.7 cases for every 10,000 Manufacturing 20.1% Manufacturing 36.0%
workers. Health care, social assistance 16.3% Health care, social assistance 20.7%
All total, 1,347,600 injury and illness Retail trade 14.8% Professional, business services 8.4%
cases were reported at goods-producing Construction 10.4% Retail trade 6.9%
companies (5.9 case rate), a drop of Leisure and hospitality 9.7% Leisure and hospitality 6.1%
40,000 from 2005. For U.S. private Professional, business services 6.8% Transportation, warehousing 4.6%
industry as a whole, there were 4,085,400 Transportation, warehousing 6.6% Construction 4.6%
cases (4.4 case rate), a decrease of 43,100. Wholesale trade 5.9% Financial activities 3.5%
To read the full BLS report, visit: Financial activities 2.7% Wholesale trade 2.5%
www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf Remaining sectors 6.7% Remaining sectors 6.7%

50 January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com

 SAFETY REPORT
WELDERS RISK LOSS OF SENSE OF SMELL
Researchers at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found
that professional welders who work in
enclosed spaces with poor ventilation may
be at risk for a loss of the sense of smell. The
study appears in the journal Neurology.
This is the first study to clearly demon-
strate that welders who work in confined
spaces without adequate respiratory protec-
tion are at risk for damaging their sense of
smell, says the studys senior author,
Richard Doty, PhD, who is the director of
the Smell & Taste Center and a professor in
the Department of Otorhinolaryngology.
Although underappreciated, loss of
smell function significantly alters quality of
life. This important sense not only deter-
mines the flavors of foods and beverages,
but serves as an early warning system for
the detection of fire, dangerous fumes,
MAN FILES SUIT OVER CARPAL TUNNEL TEST
A job applicant claims he was denied a
job at a Black & Decker plant in Tennessee
after failing a test used to predict the
likelihood of developing carpal tunnel
syndrome.
Victor Breehne has filed a class-action
suit in Tennessee, claiming the company
violated the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA).
Breehne, who applied for a job last year
at a Black &
SAFETY NOTES
Decker plant in
Jackson, Tenn., that manufactures Porter-
Cable brand power tools, said in a court
filing that he was offered the job contin-
gent on passing a medical exam.
A company doctor stimulated forearm
nerves that control hand muscles and
concluded it would be inappropriate for
Breehne to work in a highly wrist-
sensitive job.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission also has challenged the tests
which are used in some manufacturing
settings on ADA grounds. The agency lost a
federal lawsuit in 2001 against Rockwell
leaking gas, spoiled foods and polluted
environments.
Using the University of Pennsylvania Smell
Identification Test (UPSIT) a self-adminis-
tered standardized test incorporating 40
scratch-and-sniff odors with multiple
choice options to identify the odor the
researchers quantitatively evaluated the
olfactory function of 43 professional
welders in the San Francisco area who
worked in confined spaces and compared
their test scores with those of matched
normal controls.
Dr. Doty and colleagues found that the
mean UPSIT scores of the welders were, on
average, seven points lower than those of
their matched controls (29.62 and 36.90).
Thirty-eight (88 percent) performed more
poorly than their controls, although only
three (7 percent) had a total loss of their
Automation after that company denied jobs
to 72 applicants at an Illinois plant.
The EEOC believes the test does not reli-
ably predict the likelihood of developing
carpal tunnel syndrome or whether it would
pose an imminent threat to the persons
safety, Chris Kuczynski, assistant legal
counsel and director of the ADA policy divi-
sion at EEOC, told The Baltimore Sun.
Robert Kellner, an attorney who special-
izes in labor law, said it is not uncommon
for job offers to be rescinded based on a
medical exam.
Its legal if the test shows the individual
cant perform the essential functions of the
job, said Kellner, chair of the labor and
law practice at Gordon Feinblatt Rothman
Hoffberger & Hollander LLC in Baltimore.
Kellner, who is not involved in this case,
said companies also can reject candidates
if the doctor determines the job would
jeopardize the applicants health and
safety or that of other employees. The
employer must establish that there is a
significant risk that substantial harm could
occur in the workplace.
52
sense of smell. The percentages of those
with mild, moderate or severe loss of the
sense of smell were 30.2, 18.6 and 16.3. The
researchers report that of the 42 subjects
who provided information regarding their
sense of smell before being tested, more
than half were unaware of a problem.
Blood tests were administered to test
for blood levels of chemicals found in
welding fumes. The blood tests revealed
that 40.5 percent of the welders had
abnormally elevated levels of manganese.
Although this suggests that the welders
were exposed mainly to manganese, it is
not entirely clear whether this is the basis
of their olfactory problems. In fact, the
welders with the highest manganese blood
levels exhibited better olfactory function
than those with the lowest manganese
blood levels.
 The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration proposed penalties
totaling $128,000, including $70,000 for
one willful safety violation, against
Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles (dba Frontline
Communications) for 13 safety and health
violations at its Clearwater, Fla., plant.
This employer is large and important,
with ample access to safety information,
but management is not employing this
knowledge in its own workplace, said Les
Grove, OSHAs area director in Tampa.
OSHA issued one willful violation
against the company for not installing
guards on its press brakes despite repeated
injuries to employees and despite receiving
compliance assistance information from
the agency.
 Joseph J. Ucciferro, the president
and CEO of Philadelphia-based Day &
Zimmermanns Commercial and Public
Sector, was elected chairman of the National
Safety Councils board of directors.
For more safety-related news and notes,
visit www.reliableplant.com.
January - February 2008 www.reliableplant.com