A good industrial maintenance program tracks a slew of metrics. One of the most important is mean time between failures (MTBF). A simple equation makes it easy to measure just how much uptime a machine is capable of between failures. It’s a useful figure for understanding the lifespan of certain parts or the effect of…
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One of the biggest buzzwords flittering around the manufacturing industry today is “5G.” It seems like only a few years ago 4G LTE paved the way for connected devices, expanding the capabilities of 3G networks. Now, we’re on the cusp of 5G: infrastructure that promises to be 100 times faster than 4G LTE. And it’s…
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For factory managers immersing themselves in the lean philosophy, there’s no shortage of books to read. Unfortunately, many of them read like textbooks. They have superb concepts and do a fantastic job of teaching those ideas. But they sometimes fall short of bridging concept and application. For learners seeking a more practical reading approach, we’ve…
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There’s no such thing as “good waste.” In fact, waste by its very nature is negative. It represents a lack of optimization and misuse of resources. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to spot or correct instances of waste. The key is determining potential results, then measuring actual ones. You’ll find waste within the discrepancy. If…
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With every new technology comes the risk of someone seeking to exploit it. And while the industrial internet of things (IIoT) is complex and robust, its sheer scope means plenty of access points for opportunistic hackers. As manufacturers come to rely more on the IIoT, it’s crucial to understand paying for good security features is…
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The March 2019 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® is here, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The consensus among industry professionals is cautious optimism — and it’s easy to see why from the numbers. Several key metrics are trending positive, while a number of headwinds seem to be stabilizing. The future appears less…
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An overheated electric motor will bring your equipment to a screeching halt. And while excessive heat may be the problem confronting you, knowing how and why your motor overheated is imperative. Until you get to the root of the problem, your motor will continue to reach peak temperatures, failing again and again. Qualifying an overheated…
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Smartphones are ubiquitous. Not only are they in the pocket or purse of more than 2.5 billion people, they’re also quickly becoming part of everyday jobs. This includes traditional trade jobs, such as factory maintenance. In factories especially, mobile technologies have unlocked a wealth of opportunities across operations. But it’s arguable that none have benefitted…
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More than 350 dead and a worldwide fleet grounded. That’s the current story revolving around Boeing’s 747 Max 8 planes. Those following the story know the various factors behind the situation: hastily modified aircraft, optional and costly safety features, and collusion with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). But there’s one chief component that any manufacturer…
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In the realm of maintenance, preventive and corrective approaches are two sides of the same coin. On one side, you administer maintenance at an upfront cost to (theoretically) prevent a larger problem from occurring later on. Corrective is the opposite: The cost is backloaded and proportionate to the solution. While preventive maintenance is unequivocally better,…
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