Plant Maintenance

PM Optimization #2

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:58:18 +0000

PM Optimization #1 covered purging unnecessary or redundant PM tasks that waste valuable tradesmen hours and resources, with the goal of freeing up many man hours to put towards other more relevant failure reducing endeavors.

Step Two in optimizing your Preventative Maintenance effort would be to consolidate tasks to be performed at specific…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Direction, Accountability, Communication

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:49:10 +0000

My training and experience are based on finding the root cause(s) of a problem and then implementing tactics to solve the problem. I believe one root cause of some of today's issues in manufacturing, especially the lack of success in implementing improvement programs, is caused by a lack of communication. This in turn will affect direction and…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Maintenance Department Internal Customers

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:58:15 +0000

The maintenance department in any manufacturing environment is a service department. As a service department they have customers, and traditionally the main customer that gets much of the focus (and resources) is the production or manufacturing department.

Keep in mind that for any manufacturing facility to operate smoothly and efficiently…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Basic Care #2

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:18:58 +0000

Basic Care #1 covered keeping your machinery components tightened, clean, and lubricated on a regular basis. Done properly, your breakdowns should be greatly reduced (results of up to 80% have been achieved). The next step in further reducing breakdowns and increasing plant capacity involves using Predictive Maintenance (PdM), technology that…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Vision and Mission Statements

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 12:47:37 +0000

General Motors latest mission statement reads; "General Motors is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Quality, Maintenance and Deming

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 15:38:33 +0000

Quality. This term is not frequently used in most Maintenance departments. Quality in Maintenance is in fact two fold; the service it provides to Operations (based on the premise that maintenance quality is measured by customer (production) satisfaction through improved OEE, uptime, safety), and the contribution to overall quality of the product…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

The Maintenance Manager

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:16:22 +0000

If we are going to improve and/or lean our manufacturing processes, Maintenance must also be included. Any new initiatives will definitely include change, and being change starts at the top, this post is about the Maintenance Manager. Today's Manager must understand the changes that need to be made and must know how to successfully implement…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Manufacturing, Maintenance and New Years Resolutions (managing change)

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:04:49 +0000

Many companies, along with their maintenance department, start the off the new year with new goals in mind. They may focus on being leaner, greener, or may want to concentrate on improving mechanical integrity, just to name a few possible initiatives.

To ensure successful implementation of any new program use the full PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT (PDCA)…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

PM Optimization #1

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:58:28 +0000

In todays increasingly technology driven manufacturing environment machines can alert operators when problems arise or service is needed through onboard built in predictive (PdM) systems. For those of us without brand new manufacturing equipment and facilities (most of us) who have slightly (or much) older equipment we must rely on the next best…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP

Basic Care #1

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:45:41 +0000

Taking proper care of your plant facilities and equipment can be approached somewhat the same as taking care of your car. You keep it clean, check levels and pressures regularly, change the oil and filters based on mileage (and/or severity of use), follow recommended servicing guidelines, and if you hear noises or notice a lack of performance…

- Author: Daniel Rau, MMP