Improving performance of machinery and equipment

For many products, the application of reliability and maintainability (R&M) is mature. From communications to transportation, the people who work on improving the performance of products deserve much credit. Digital networks to improve communication clarity and performance, one hundred thousand miles between scheduled tune-ups, the list could go on and on. Unfortunately, the application of R&M in the world of machinery and equipment that produces these wonderful products is sometimes far from mature. The good news, there is still some low hanging fruit, some opportunities for real and significant improvement. The motivation for R&M is financial. The intent of R&M is to drive the cost of equipment performance to an economic minimum. To accomplish improved economic performance we must be concerned with the selection of appropriate figures of merit. There is a keen interest in studying and improving those things that are in the control space of the manufacturer of machinery or equipment. This may include the addition of blocking and starving events to current data collection strategies. To accomplish a real and significant reduction in the frequency of failure, we must also implement a system to support lessons learned. QS-9000 and the Tooling & Equipment Supplement provide a sensible structure for an effective R&M program.