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Maintenance Articles:

OEE Analysis at Toyota Motor Manufacturing - Reader Responds

A reply to one readers inquiry for help doing an OEE analysis of a well-established automotive industry automotive plant, Toyota Motor Manufacturing.

The True Cost of Downtime - By Don Fitchett

The key to realizing greater savings from more informed management decisions is to predetermine the "True" cost of downtime for each profit center category.

The Japanese Path to Maintenance Excellence - By Mike Sondalini

Equipment criticality determines what level of preventative maintenance to use and much more. We can learn from Mike's visit to a major Japanese manufacturer.

M2M Device Networking - By Marty Huff

An article about how the ability to extract raw data from a device, machine or appliance and convert that data into useful information transforms the decision-making from an art to a science.

How a Photoswitch Saved My Job - by Larry Bush

An article by author Larry Bush about how a more advanced photo sensor on a canning equipment seamer in the food processing industry had saved his job.

Hydrocarbon Traces In Purging Nitrogen (via Chromatography) - by P.K. Rao

When the reactors of Hydroprocessing Units and Reformers and other plant equipment are given for maintenance or for regeneration of the catalyst, it becomes necessary to remove all residual hydrocarbons from the system. RTOL Lab's editor, P.K. Rao provides the procedure in this article.

Electrical Industrial Troubleshooting - by Larry Bush

An article on electrical industrial troubleshooting with sections on industrial motor control and programmable logic controller. Covers problem solving with motor test and short circuit training.

Contract Maintenance or Not? - by Torbjorn Idhammar

What kind of maintenance should or should not be contracted out and the reasons for choosing either option.

OEE Reports - Automated Capturing & Recording of Availability Data - by Bob Giese

With automated OEE, you not only result in a smoother running facility, but you get OEE reports that help you identify where and how to improve your operating effectiveness. 

Lean Maintenance using Six Sigma DMAIC - by Howard C. Cooper

You can not have truly lean manufacturing without also having Lean Maintenance ™.This article is a detailed overview of how to successfully implement Lean Maintenance ™. From identifying the barriers, defining the problem, to arriving at a solution. This article is a great start to controlling the project.

Writing the Perfect PM - by Ralph Hackle

From developing a PM template with example PM template to using RCM tools to determine the frequency of each PM.

EDR - Engineering Driven Reliability - With his article 'The One Absolutely Critical Point RCM, FMEA and the like  All Miss!', Mike is introducing the next evolution in reliability. After 300 years, it is time for Engineering Driven Reliability (EDR)!

Total Performance Safety - Performance Safety recognizes individual and team performance in pro-active (not reactive) injury prevention techniques that will totally prevent, or at least, reduce exposures to hazards. 

RCM - Reliability Centered Maintenance - Mike Sondalini explains when it pays to use RCM while revealing an implementation method that results in even greater savings for your organization.

OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness - Overall Equipment Effectiveness is a benchmarking tool as well as an analysis tool. This article covers what OEE is, why you should use OEE, and how to use it.

 The knowledge network, networking people - The most powerful aspect about the knowledge network is often the most overlooked advantage. That advantage is a solution that results when two or more individuals communicating back and forth with a common goal.

Maximum Hydraulic Component Life - Defining Fluid Temperature & Viscosity Limits for Maximum Hydraulic Component Life By Brendan Casey

CMMS ROI Calculator - How to cost justify your CMMS program. A Return on Investment (ROI) calculation results in a value that represents the benefits received from a project against the total costs of the project.