Page 25 - Improving Machinery Reliability

Some areas, notably process control, are moving quickly in the direc-
tion of fully open systems. However, for asset management and mainte-
nance the open systems solution has not yet developed. Why is this?
Many maintenance professionals believe the challenge is insurmount-
able. Others believe there cannot be any departures from current work
processes that may be unique to a single site. Suppliers may believe that
maintaining absolute control over their portion of the information struc-
ture and all gateways in and out is to their commercial advantage. Many
of these arguments appeared when process control transitioned from
analog to digital systems twenty or so years ago. Ultimately, control sys-
tem purchasers realized that open systems were the only way to achieve
maximum performance at an affordable cost. Asset management and
maintenance are not well served by going through the same process.
There is movement toward open systems in the maintenance and asset
management areas. The activity accomplishing this valuable objective is
called MIMOSA, the Machinery Information Management Open Sys-
tems Alliance.'o. I I
In summary, gaining maximum value from process, production, and
manufacturing equipment requires a comprehensive, value-oriented
process that begins at design and extends through operation. Vital ingre-
dients include continuing, well-planned machinery reliability enhance-
ment, maintenance optimization, and life-cycle cost justification. Within
this process, maintenance must be directed toward eliminating problems
and safely reducing the need for maintenance. Perceptions must change.
Improving equipment reliability at the very inception of a project,
demanding quality during installation, and focusing on lifetime equip-
ment management must be accepted and applied. Now is the time to
drive the change process to your advantage.12 The future is not very
promising for enterprises that are significantly below competitive best.
This completely revised edition focuses on some of the most important
and highest return-on-investment methods, work processes, and tech-
niques for your move toward competitive best. This book starts by show-
ing the reader how to gain maximum value from manufacturing equip-
ment. Not a bad place to start!

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