Because half of the DCS systems in the process industries are older than today's graduating maintenance technicians, obsolescence is often cited as a driving force for plant upgrades. However, obsolescence isn't enough for a business argument. You need to understand maintainability between the old and new systems.

Maybe rolling up your sleeves and grabbing a hold of a new Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) is exactly what your enterprise asset management system needs. This white paper says FRACAS reporting closes the loop between root cause failure analysis and reliability centered maintenance.

Lubricants, fluids, and other consumables are often purchased based on a combination of price and performance. So, what about based on maintenance schedules? The selection of oils, filters, and other commonly replaced parts has a direct relationship on schedules for preventive maintenance (PM). Think about that during plant design.

They could cut U.S. energy costs by 7%, and keep tons of mercury out of landfills annually, but light emitting diodes (LEDs) are rarities when it comes to lighting systems. Standards are one problem, and third party testing to verify manufacturers' claims is needed for this light system that won't fail for up to a decade.

Small bulbs can produce big savings, says small aircraft make Cessna. They traded high-intensity discharge (HID) assembly floor lighting systems for 4,200 T8 high-intensity fluorescents (HIF). The company estimates they'll save 4.8 million kilowatt-hrs per year ($213,000) and another $9,000 in reduced air conditioning costs.

With skyrocketing commodity costs, a metal compactor can increase revenue from scrap and cut coolant waste. By cutting down on handling and shipping, one machine shop discovered an extra $180/hr profit from compacting the chips, while cutting coolant costs by $8000 a year by reclaiming the fluid, filtering, and recycling it.

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is about identifying unexpected problems. While many heads get spun trying to decipher it, RCM is really about three ideas: discovering hidden failure modes, single-failure versus multiple failure analysis, and the concept of run-to-failure — when it's good, and when it's not.

Root cause analysis specialist, Robert Latino of Reliability Center, Inc., met with IMPO magazine to discuss the common hurdles when adopting RCA and when a company should consider RCA to find faults, including bearing failures seal failures and rate restrictions. Mr. Latino is author of several books on the subject.

Where are the jobs? The words 'manufacturing hub' and 'India' once a silent but steady performer, are being thrown around more and more these days. And now they are being mentioned along with well recognized multinationals like Ford, Cummins, Hyundai, and Suzuki. Contract manufacturing for example, is expected to grow at better than 40% annually through 2010. A recent report says that India needs to address corporate taxes, interest rates, labor laws, and infrastructure if it wants to see its 7% annual growth in manufacturing production equal China's 15%.

The world economy is being tested, and auto sales in particular are down. Now, it looks as if the U.S. automotive industry is going to get a $25 billion loan from the U.S. government to help it retool for cars with improved fuel efficiency, following recent congressional approval. U.S. carmakers are struggling to meet new field efficiency standards that require at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Is Training Key to Survival?

Training and outsourcing may be two sides of the same coin when it comes to keeping your job in the MRO department. Is your company investing in the MRO training?