M-News Edition 37
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| Plant Maintenance Resource Center
M-News Edition 37
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Edition 37, August 2003 |
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ContentsIn this edition...
If you wish to receive notification of future copies of this newsletter by email, please register at www.plant-maintenance.com/registration.shtml. If you have any feedback on the newsletter, or have something to contribute, please send me an e-mail. Feature Article - A Life Cycle Cost SummaryLife cycle costs (LCC) are cradle to grave costs summarized as an economic model of evaluating alternatives for equipment and projects. Engineering details drive LCC cost numbers for the economic calculations, and the economics of proposals drives the scenario selection process. Good engineering proposals without economic justification are often uneconomical, but good engineering with good economics provide business successes. This paper, from Paul Barringer of Barringer & Associates, Inc., describes how the Life Cycle Costing economic model provides better assessment of long-term cost effectiveness of projects than can be obtained with only first costs decisions. You will find the article at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/LifeCycleCostSummary.pdf. Note that you will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file. This paper was originally presented at the ICOMS 2003 conference. Additional papers from ICOMS 2003 are available for purchase - you can access the list of papers and videos from www.icoms.org.au/icoms_proc.htm Feature Article - Benchmarking as a Maintenance Performance Measurement and Improvement TechniqueBenchmarking was a "hot" topic in the early 1990's. It was seen as the next "big thing" in business improvement. Like most over-hyped techniques, the bubble soon burst, and benchmarking was in serious danger of becoming viewed as yet another of those "flavour of the month" management consulting-driven fads that would quickly sink into oblivion. With the passage of time, however, benchmarking has not disappeared into the realms of folklore. It is increasingly being viewed as one of a number of important business improvement tools that any organisation should have in its kit bag. If anything, it is going through something of a resurgence, as organisations attempt to become less inward- and more outward-focused. In this article, Sandy Dunn of Assetivity (and the webmaster of the Plant Maintenance Resource Center) discusses benchmarking in an equipment maintenance context. You can read the article at Feature Article - Measuring the Effectiveness of Lean Thinking Activities within MaintenanceThis paper discusses the combined issues of lean thinking, maintenance, and measures of performance to identify the impact of lean thinking within maintenance. Specific attention focuses on the contribution of lean thinking within an organisation, the need for maintenance to align itself with the business objectives of the organisation, and the need for performance measures to inform of improvement within the organisation. Based on Ph.D. research by Chris Davies, this article can be read at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/Lean_Maintenance.pdf. Note that you will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file. Feature Article - Implementation of a Quality Management System for Coal Handling Plant of Thermal Power StationEffective management of Coal Handling Plants requires the coordinated integration of Operations, Maintenance, Engineering support, Taining, and Administration in order to supply a reliable flow of fuel to boiler to avoid failure of energy supply to consumers. To fulfill this need, the structure of management is process-centered. It should also be linked to a Quality Management System (QMS), which has particular management characteristics. This paper, from our regular contributor, Makarand Joshi, focuses on implementation of a QMS at a Coal Handling Plant. You can read the article at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/QMS-paper.pdf. Yet again, you will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader installed to be able to view this file. Book Review - Maintenance Engineering HandbookConsisting of over 1,500 pages of dense text and figures, this book clearly aims to be the definitive handbook for Maintenance Engineers. Does it succeed in its aim? I think so, but read more in our review of this book at www.plant-maintenance.com/books/0070288194.shtml. Recommended BooksHere are ten Maintenance-related books that we have reviewed recently, and strongly recommend:
Get more information on these and other books at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/maintenance_books.shtml. On the Lighter Side - Engineering HumorAn engineer drafted by the army was at a firing range. At the range, he was given some instruction, a rifle and 50 rounds. He fired several shots at the target. The report came from the target area that all attempts had completely missed the target. The engineer looked at his weapon, and then at the target. He looked at the weapon again, and then at the target again. He then put his finger over the end of the rifle barrel and squeezed the trigger with his other hand. The end of his finger was blown off, whereupon he yelled toward the target area: "It's leaving here just fine, the trouble must be at your end!"
I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. All feedback, comments and contributions to future editions are very welcome (as are enquiries about contributions to, and sponsorship of, this newsletter). Alexander (Sandy) Dunn
Copyright 1996-2009, The Plant Maintenance Resource Center . All Rights Reserved.
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