Reliable Plant Issue 9 of 2006

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>>COVER STORY

U.S. Steel's Fairfield Works
This century-old steel mill in Alabama recently opened a unique maintenance training center that is crafting the site's next generation of skilled employees. Editor Paul V. Arnold provides all of the details.

Departments
	News and Analysis
	Reliable Plant wins two APEX awards
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: • Departments\|News and Analysis
	Reliable Plant magazine won two awards in the 18th annual Writing That Works “Awards for Publication Excellence” (APEX) competition, including one for being among the best new publications of 2005.

Editorial
	Editors Column
	Personal perspectives
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Paul V. Arnold, editor • Editorial\|Editors Column
	Editor Paul V. Arnold offers personal insights on leadership.


	The Exponent
	The face of effective reliability management
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Drew D. Troyer, CRE, CMRP • Editorial\|The Exponent
	Drew Troyer details his 12 elements of effective plant reliability management.

Features
	Advisors
	Business processes to improve reliability
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Tor Idhammar • Features\|Advisors
	Operating practices are a vital part of any preventive maintenance process. Good practices prevent failures. Poor practices encourage failures.



	Planned hours: What's a good total?
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Doc Palmer • Features\|Advisors
	'How many hours should a planner plan for each week?' The answers aren't very precise, but the thought process should provide you some direction.



	Pros, cons of outsourcing lubrication
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Mark Barnes • Features\|Advisors
	Done properly, with a carefully crafted game plan, success is possible; but the key is 'done properly.'



	Measuring CBM program success
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: John Schultz • Features\|Advisors
	If you want to prove the success of your CBM program to management, you must have clear, compelling data to back it up.



	Figuring out Boomers, Gens X and Y
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: John Ha • Features\|Advisors
	Take this info into account when you recruit new employees or manage employee performance.



	The power of a clear, concise vision
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Tim Goshert • Features\|Advisors
	What is your shared vision to improve maintenance and reliability practices and results at your company or plant? Cargill's Tim Goshert offers his.


	Applied Reliability
	Dissect OEM lube recommendations
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Jason Kopschinsky • Features\|Applied Reliability
	Technicians must translate original equipment manufacturer requirements to select the right lubricant for the machine.



	Selecting the right drive system
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Gates Corporation • Features\|Applied Reliability
	Roller chain, V-belt and synchronous belt drives each have their own advantages and disadvantages.


	In the News
	BP fiasco provides reliability lessons
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Drew D. Troyer, CRE, CMRP • Features\|In the News
	The recent BP pipeline shutdown was avoidable, reportedly caused by the age-old mistake of deferred maintenance.


	Reliability Forum
	Avoid a bearing blunder
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: • Features\|Reliability Forum
	A Timken reliability manager provides his insights on common mistakes end-users make when installing bearings.


	Viewpoint
	Japan vs. U.S.: Two views about M&R
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Yoshitsugu Kimura • Features\|Viewpoint
	Yoshitsugu Kimura provides his insights on the philosophical differences between reliability in Japan and in the U.S.

Web Exclusives
	None
	The pitfalls of min/max ordering, and what to replace it with
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Debra S. Renard • Web Exclusives\|None
	For many years, companies have struggled to find the magic number for their inventory levels. Any level for an item seems to be an unsatisfactory compromise.



	Scientists develop better way to detect presence of water
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Newswise • Web Exclusives\|None
	A new method for detection and measurement of small amounts of water, developed in the lab of Dr. Milko van der Boom in the Weizmann Institute’s Organic Chemistry Department, might allow such tests to be performed accurately and quickly.



	Seeking ways to cut energy waste? Start with steam traps
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Bruce Gorelick and Alan Bandes • Web Exclusives\|None
	The now bygone era of cheap energy has been replaced by a new reality – steady, steep and continued rises in fuel prices. This has sent plant leaders on a frantic search to find ways to cut costs in virtually every phase of the manufacturing process. One area they may be overlooking is steam generation.



	Hybrid lighting technology gaining momentum
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Newswise • Web Exclusives\|None
	With five hybrid solar lighting systems already in place and another 20 scheduled to be installed in the next couple of months, the forecast is looking sunny for a technology developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.



	Theory of Constraints: How does it fit with lean and Six Sigma?
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Debra S. Renard • Web Exclusives\|None
	Numerous process improvement methodologies have been proposed in recent years. Three of the most prominent are Six Sigma, lean and the Theory of Constraints (TOC). How can you determine which methodology is the right one for your organization?



	Stop arguing; just focus on profits
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Richard Batty • Web Exclusives\|None
	Most manufacturers rely on standard margin data to evaluate product profitability. The problem with using margin information alone, however, is that production time is not properly represented in most costing data, skewing overhead charges and the resulting margins.



	Custom cabinetry company builds with lean
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: • Web Exclusives\|None
	Kiesler Enterprises Inc., a high-end custom cabinetry manufacturer, is known for their exceptional craftsmanship. For more than 20 years, Kiesler has made cabinets for private homes and residential complexes, but they also make kitchen, bath and entertainment furniture of wood and laminate.



	Manufacturing profitability through well-maintained cutting tools
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Dr. Anil Srivastava • Web Exclusives\|None
	This article provides some basic but valuable information on cutting tool sharpening. The process is designed to keep manufacturing flow as efficient as possible, ensuring better competitiveness nationally and even globally.



	Five tips for selecting an industrial sealant
	• Issue: 9/2006 • Author: Ross Noel • Web Exclusives\|None
	With so many products to choose from, making sure you select the proper sealant is especially important. Selecting the wrong industrial sealant, or applying the correct sealant in the wrong manner, can have serious consequences.