And yet, since the late 1990s, using reliability professionals to collect data has not been considered “state-of-the-art.” Today’s Best-in-Class (BiC) companies realize maximum returns on the investment in monetary and human resources by letting their reliability professionals spend the bulk of their time on data analysis, life-cycle cost calculations, and the development of cost-justified upgrade and life extension measures.

Why data collection should be an operator function is best explained in an analogy involving our personal vehicles. Would we consider it cost-effective to let an automotive service technician check out 100 vulnerable components or subassemblies on our car or truck, expecting perhaps five of them to require repair? Would we not, instead, prefer to analyze and pay only for items where we, a vehicle's owner-operator, noticed deviations from normal response, sound, temperature, fluid level, etc.? We all know the answer. We, as drivers, would do the condition-monitoring (data collecting) and leave the detailed analysis to the specialist-experts.

That, in short, is why today's BiC companies assign data collection to operators. Such operators, in turn, probably leverage data-collection technologies that merit the designation of Machine Condition, or Machinery Reliability Inspection System. Deviations found with this type of “Go-No Go” approach are then reported to a reliability professional for analysis and follow-up. This way, a reliability pro's time can be fully devoted to the relatively few equipment items that really deserve attention.  

Perhaps the most important side-benefit of letting operators collect relevant equipment data is that it lets them get to know their machines more intimately. While collecting data in a truly effortless and accurate fashion, they will see, hear, and smell what’s going on in their areas. Steam leaks will be observed; development of coupling distress will be heard; and the smell of oil that has soaked into steam-turbine insulation will reach the operator’s nose. He or she then merely reports the deviation through the click of a key, or freezes it for detailed analysis by a specialist who follows through with remedial-action planning.

Let's hope, though, that any remedial-action planning is more than repairing in kind. After all, repair events are opportunities to implement cost-effective upgrading at a small incremental cost. The available opportunities are well known to staffers that keep up their habit of reading sound technical literature.

heinzpbloch@gmail.com

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