Reliable Plant March 2006

"Maintenance Reduction 50 Percent" is a lofty goal, but who is going to bet against this automaker? The Georgetown, Ky., plant makes the Camry four-door sedan, Avalon sedan, and the Solara...

Year after year, advancements in equipment and new technologies enable machines to meet the ever-increasing demands of productivity. Although it is not often thought of as part of the equipment,...

Soft foot poses a challenge for plant operations and maintenance personnel. The common term for machine frame distortion, soft foot is caused when one or more feet of a machine are shorter,...

In the Reliability Forum department of Reliable Plant magazine, suppliers provide their insights to a question posed by editor Paul V. Arnold. This issue, the call went out to manufacturers of power...

I learned a long time ago that in a manufacturing environment you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect. This concept is very simple to grasp but very difficult to implement and...

In parts 1 and 2 of this column series, I outlined the need for developing maintenance leadership skills. The main points were: Maintenance leaders need to know what to lead toward before...

My previous columns outlined common frustrations with planning and the value of planning. They also provided an overall listing of the main principles that make planning effective. This column...

When I talk to employers about their talent management process, the subject of personality or behavior assessment usually comes up, especially around recruiting. These conversations could almost be...

The first time it happened was back in 1995. I was halfway through a presentation at a Chemical Manufacturers Association conference when a guy in the back of the room shouted, “What a load of...

Few answers to machine relubrication questions are black and white. But, it is reasonable to state that relubrication work practices, in a practical sense, are either right or wrong. There is no...

The number and rate of work-related injuries and illnesses declined in the American manufacturing sector in 2004, according to final data released this winter by the United States Department of...

The Chrysler Group unveiled massive structural and cultural changes — and, a new car model — on Feb. 1 at its plant in Belvidere, Ill., 75 miles north of Chicago. Click below to see a slide show of...