Maintenance engineering, how to star in a big company 1

[OliverTaco]

Hi,
I am john and I am a mechanical engineer from Perú. Nowadays, I am working in maintance engineering
in a big mining company. I just finished the university.
The company has SAP and I think they use this program to get data as notifications and work orders.
I am trying to know how to apply RCM and failure mode and effects analys. I know the theory of RCM however
when I learned this in the university It was easier because my teacher gave me a specific case of a machine
and I could identified the functions, failure mode and efects. So as a big company it is very difficult to do this analysis
because there are a lot of machines.
I was looking for imformation on internet but I find some ways to apply RCM in SAP; however, I don't have
the access to do that in SAP.
Thanks,

 

[MikeHalloran]

In big companies, you typically have access _only_ to the data and the software modules and other tools that are strictly necessary for you to do your job.
IT assigns permissions by means of standard job descriptions,
or just flat-out guesses at what you do and how you do it.
There is probably a protocol in place, typically a short memo from your boss, outlining what permissions you need, and asking for said permissions to be arranged ASAP.

At least, ask questions of the IT people about what you are trying to do. You may find that the data you need is already being collected, and has been for some time, and there may be tools already in place that make your job possible/easier.

The trick to making anything happen in a big company is to ask questions, and keep asking, until you find the actual person who can help you, and has been waiting patiently for you, their customer, to show up, without knowing your name, or even knowing that you exist.

Actually, that trick works in small companies as well, and you usually don't have to walk so far.

Pick up the phone. Go. Meet. Talk.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[ramseng]

Some questions:

Do you have the support of management to implement RCM? If you don't have the experience in the equipment, you will need to form working groups of subject matter experts to conduct the FMECA then task analysis. Do you have support to engage other departments and use their time? The actual analysis process is quick and straightforward, but as above, it sounds like you will need need outside support to conduct it effectively. Do you have the resources to achieve this?

Further to this, do you have enough experience in the RCM procedure to effectively facilitate the process?

Following the analysis, the production of quality job cards is labour intensive and again often requires further assistance if you don't have much trade experience. Do you have the support to conduct this step? If not, then the RCM analysis is pointless - you will produce maintenance requirements that won't be produced into useable work instructions.

You said there are a lot of machines - every asset management operation has the problem of too many problems and not enough resources. How have you decided to prioritise which systems to start with? Is it based on lifecycle cost, availability KPI, risk?

On another note, why are you applying RCM? What is the actual problem you are trying to solve in the plant? Is it poor LCC performance? Poor availability? Have the problems been accurately investigated? Can they actually be resolved by improving maintenance?

The knowledge around RCM is often very poor and it is often understood as 'some magic program that saves money but costs a lot', which isn't helped by the RCM cottage industry which has a vested interest in maintaining this perception. I've met very few engineering managers who really understand it. If reliability is the goal, RCM cannot deliver this. It is a tool for producing LCC effective maintenance, understanding that the purpose of maintenance is to minimise the total cost of ownership. If you are having issues with plant reliability, almost always reliability is an outcome of the design (or more specifically, the interaction of the design with the operating environment). Issues with availability are typically related to stores and spares.

There are a lot of questions to answer first. As above, you will need buy in from management, as well as cross-department cooperation, and you will need to be able to answer them to get that! Some good reading in the meantime is available on Lifetime Reliability Solutions to get you thinking.

 

[electricpete]

Well, there are a lot of important things to be done in the RCM world. Some of them more on the programmatic/paperwork side. Some of the more on the technical side. As an engineer if you want to become a “star”, I suggest you look for opportunities to dig into a challenging technical problems which are important to the company. And as Mike said look for opportunities to learn from folks who know more about the equipment and its peculiarities and workings.

One favorable situation imo is to get involved in failure analysis tasks and teams. The company RCM program should mandate failure analysis for equipment failures that exceed a certain threshold of significance. On a team you will work alongside other folks that you can ask questions of. If you are assigned a task, you still have a good reason to go ask questions of the more knowledgeable folks. Failure analysis often involves a review of a broad range of design, maintenance (predictive, preventive, corrective) and operational aspects.. If you can establish yourself in a failure analysis role, then over time you will learn not only the tools specific to failure analysis (how to judge the appearance of a fracture etc), but also you’ll have an opportunity to learn about many of the things that are important to reliability on your company’s equipment. That would make you valuable to the company imo.


=====================================
(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[OliverTaco]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your advices . I am going to apply that you said. I am working on newmont mining corporation in Peru
and now I am optimistic due to the fact that I have your support.
Thanks,

John Oliver Taco López