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M-News Edition 55
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M-News - the Maintenance Newsletter

Edition 55, December 2005

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Contents

In this edition...
Introduction
Feature Article - Beyond RCM
Feature Article - Locating Stormwater Discharges using Aerial Infrared Thermography
Feature Article - Collaborative Production Management in the Process Industries
Feature Article - The Grim Budget Reaper!
Feature Article - I Dreamt That I Had This Discussion With The Treasurer Of General Motors
Upcoming Maintenance Events
Book Review - Managing Shutdowns, Turnarounds and Outages
Top-Selling Books
On the Lighter Side - Engineering Humor


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.


This edition of the newsletter is supported by Assetivity
Assetivity has been one of Australia's 100 fastest growing companies for the last two years. Find out why by visiting http://www.assetivity.com.au.or giving us a call.


Introduction

As promised, this issue actually comes out on time!

5 more high quality articles for you this time. And Seasons Greetings to you all - may you all enjoy some "downtime" during the holiday season!

See you in 2006....

Alexander (Sandy) Dunn
Webmaster, Plant Maintenance Resource Center
webmaster@plant-maintenance.com


Feature Article - Beyond RCM

In order to gain an insight into the potential for change through applying Reliability Centered Maintenance principles, there is a need to understand the role that the central figures, the RCM Analysts, play within the asset management functions of their companies. This article, contributed by Daryl Mather of Strategic Advantages. argues that through the intensive focus on knowledge transferral the RCM Analyst method brings about permanent change through changing the way that people think about their physical asset base. You can read this article by visiting http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/beyondRCM.pdf. You will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file.


Feature Article - Locating Stormwater Discharges using Aerial Infrared Thermography

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified contaminated surface water and drinking water supplies as one of the most serious environmental problems facing the United States. Leaking sewage collection lines, stormwater drain discharges and illegal taps into stormwater drainage systems can be identified by their thermal infrared signatures during certain times of the year. As these sources of pollution leak, seep or empty into creeks, streams, rivers and lakes, their thermal signatures vary from their surroundings and they can be pinpointed accurately from the air by using aerial infrared thermography. This paper describes the need, application, methodology and equipment required to perform aerial infrared surveys of stormwater drainage systems and waterways to identify specific areas where leaks are occurring so that action can be taken to abate the leaks. It was contributed by Gregory R. Stockton, of Stockton Infrared Thermographic Services, Inc.and can be read at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/ThermographyStormwaterDischarge.pdf. You will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file.


Feature Article - Collaborative Production Management in the Process Industries

By today’s standards in the chemical and oil & gas industries, any company with a real-time, web-based KPI environment for operational views and decision-making is considered a pacesetter in their effective use of data. So has the “real-time web-based enterprise” delivered on the promises? And what’s the next step for these pacesetters? This article, contributed by Mike Brown of Matrikon discusses these issues, and can be viewed at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/cpm_in_process_industries.pdf. You will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file.


Feature Article - The Grim Budget Reaper!

Commonly, organizations don't have a comprehensive maintenance plan and, as a result, maintenance budgets barely cover the 20% of assets that cause 80 percent of problem costs. If this is the basis of our budget request, we leave ourselves open to budget cuts, as we cannot justify our budget needs. This paper from Emile Eerens of EerCons suggests a better way, and can be read at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/grimreaper.pdf. You will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file.


Feature Article - I Dreamt That I Had This Discussion With The Treasurer Of General Motors

Another thought-provoking article from Mark Goldstein. "The subject of this meeting is something that these people sarcastically refer to as Bean Counting. This isn't a nightclub act; we don't need these comedians in this room?" The treasurer agreed, and excused them from the meeting. Those dismissed from the meeting had made light of the solution to a problem, one both advanced and pervasive. They had made light of quite a bit of plant maintenance's serious business, in and out of GM. Now they were no longer part of the improvement process. They had been put out in the hall, where they belonged. Read more at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/IDreamt.pdf. You will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to be able to view this file.


Upcoming Maintenance Events

The Plant Maintenance Resource Center is pleased to be the media partner for the following Maintenance conferences in coming months:

  • Shutdowns & Turnarounds Middle East - Dubai, UAE - December 5-6, 2005
  • Shutdowns & Turnarounds Conference - London, UK - December 7-8, 2005
  • Maintenance Management 2005 - Dubai, UAE - December 10-14, 2005
  • 2006 Power Plant Managers Forum - San Antonio, TX - January 24-25, 2006
  • Food Manufacturing Forum - Bangkok, Thailand - February 20-21, 2006
  • Process Optimisation for Process Plants - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - February 21-22, 2006
  • Whole Life Costing for Asset Management - Sydney, Australia - February 21-22, 2006
  • 2nd Annual Shutdowns & Turnarounds Conference - Dubai - UAE - February 22-23, 2006
  • Process Industry Reliability & Maintenance - Shanghai, China - February 27-28, 2006

If you plan on attending, let them know that you heard about the event from us! To view even more Maintenance Conferences and Training Events, browse our comprehensive listing here .


Book Review - Managing Shutdowns, Turnarounds and Outages

What a terrific little book this is. Written by Mike Brown of New Standard Institute, and based on their excellent training material in this area, this book is chockablock full of very practical advice that you can use straight away. While, due to its size, it ultimately falls just short of being the ideal reference guide for planning and managing Maintenance Shutdowns, Turnarounds and Outages, it comes very, very close. Experienced shutdown planners and Managers will find little gems of knowledge in here which should enhance their shutdown performance. For those just starting out on their Shutdown Planning experience, this book provides very readable, and highly practical advice and instruction. Highly recommended reading. To read our full review, visit http://www.plant-maintenance.com/books/0764557661.shtml.


Top-Selling Books

Here are the top ten most popular Maintenance-related books, according to our sales statistics through amazon.com:

Get more information on these and other books at http://www.plant-maintenance.com/maintenance_books.shtml.


On the Lighter Side - Engineering Humor

If there is one trait that best defines an engineer it is the ability to concentrate on one subject to the complete exclusion of everything else in the environment. This sometimes causes engineers to be pronounced dead prematurely. Some funeral homes in high-tech areas have started checking resumes before processing the bodies. Anybody with a degree in electrical engineering or experience in computer programming is propped up in the lounge for a few days just to see if he or she snaps out of it.



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
Plant Maintenance Resource Center
webmaster@plant-maintenance.com
http://www.plant-maintenance.com


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