Most Recent

• 2018 PdM survey results: More outsourced maintenance and monitoring

  By Thomas Wilk, editor-in-chief

  It has been more than 18 months since the last Plant Services survey on predictive maintenance – a stretch of time during which manufacturing has seen a resurgence in the United States, with 17 of the 18 major industries in growth mode, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Interest…

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• How and where to strike the jackpot when it comes to reducing energy costs

  By Peter Garforth

  Conversion losses are often talked about as if they were an immutable fact of life over which we have little control. Recently I hosted a high school intern who was amazed that 60% of all U.S. energy is used converting fuels to usable energy services. Sometimes we need fresh eyes to remind us of…

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• Move on this: Smart vibration analysis

  By Sheila Kennedy, CMRP, contributing editor

  Vibration is a tried-and-true indicator of equipment health. Developments spawned from the internet of things (IoT) are making vibration data monitoring and analysis easier and more widely applicable. Targeted solutions and complete ecosystems allow companies to avoid reactive maintenance and…

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• Mine like Mike: Transitioning into a new industry and a new position

  By Thomas Wilk, editor-in-chief

  PS: You made your transition in early 2018. What were some of the easiest aspects of the change? What surprised you along the way?MM: Moving to my new position as a reliability technician at Teck Pend Oreille Operations, there were several predictive maintenance instruments that were different from…

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• Self-service continuous improvement

  By Edwin van Dijk, TrendMiner

  Six Sigma (Lean) is the most well-known approach to transforming organizations so that they are data-driven and continuously improving. Where Lean addresses process flow and waste issues, Six Sigma focuses on variation and design. These complementary disciplines are aimed at promoting “business…

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• Helping new hires succeed

  By Christine LaFave Grace, managing editor

  Anne Lucietto, a mechanical engineer by training, worked in industry for the likes of Caterpillar and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory before starting her “second career” as an assistant professor at Purdue University in 2014. She obtained a Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue and…

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