Luis Barberá

Advanced model for maintenance management in a continuous improvement cycle: integration into the business strategy

This paper presents an advanced model for the integrated management for industrial plant maintenance and equivalent. The proposed model achieves to align the local maintenance objectives with the overall business objectives. Additionally, the model provides a real operational context and takes consideration of certain restrictions that may affect the efficiency and/or the effectiveness of the industrial maintenance management. First, the importance of a proper maintenance management and its consequences are discussed. Then, the model will describe in seven stages how to manage and optimize in a continuous way all the processes that deal with planning, programming and maintenance execution. This starts from a management process in the design stage or, from an already established management process. Moreover, the model includes fundamental aspects that fully integrate the directives of the business with maintenance activities. This article ends with conclusions and all references used during the research process prior to the drafting of this document.

Dynamic analytic hierarchy process: AHP method adapted to a changing environment

Purpose – Actual situations evidence how adopted decisions can change the decision constraints of the system where the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is being applied. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a dynamic view of the AHP method, considering the criteria and alternatives as temporary variables and finally obtaining not only one good choice for a specific moment but a more comprehensive picture of those alternatives resulting more important for the business, according to strategy and over time. Design/methodology/approach – With this purpose this paper starts with a short literature review and the general characteristics of the AHP method. Afterwards, the paper presents the problem that appears frequently in actual situations which justify the development of this research. Once described, the uncertainty appeared after the AHP implementation, the proposed methodology called dynamic analytic hierarchy process (DAHP) is presented. Findings – Finally, this paper shows a case study and...

A case study of GAMM (graphical analysis for maintenance management) in the mining industry

Abstract This paper presents a case for practical application of the GAMM method, which has been developed and published by the authors (Barbera L., Crespo A. and Viveros P.) The GAMM method supports decision-making in the overall maintenance management, through the visualization and graphical analysis of data. In addition, it allows for the identification of anomalous behavior in the equipment analyzed, whether derived from its own operations, maintenance activities, improper use of equipment or even as a result of design errors in the equipment itself. As a basis for analysis, the GAMM method uses a nonparametric estimator of the reliability function using all historical data or, alternatively, part of the history, allowing it to perform an analysis even with limited available data. In the case study developed, GAMM has been used to analyze two slurry pumps in a mining plant located in Chile. Both pumps are part of the same industrial process, which is described in Section 3 , and both pumps had a higher failure rate but one more than the other. GAMM identified deficiencies in each of the pumps being studied, thus improving decision-making and problem solving process related to the maintenance of the pumps. Particularly, this work initially provides a description of the GAMM method ( Section 1 ), and, afterwards, it is depicted with special attention the approach to the problem ( Section 2 ). In Section 3 , a background of the industrial context is presented. Then, Section 4 shows step by step the application of GAMM method. Finally, results and conclusions are presented in Section 5 where the main improvements obtained are summarized.

A Case Study of GAMM (Graphical Analysis for Maintenance Management) Applied to Water Pumps in a Sewage Treatment Plant, Chile

This article presents a case for practical application of the GAMM method, which has been developed and published by the authors. The GAMM method supports decision making in the overall maintenance management, through the visualization and graphical analysis of data. In addition, it allows for the identification of anomalous behavior in the equipment analyzed, whether derived from its own operations, maintenance activities, improper use of equipment or even as a result of design errors in the equipment itself. As a basis for analysis, the GAMM method uses a nonparametric estimator of the reliability function using all historical data or, alternatively, part of the history, allowing it to perform an analysis even with limited available data. In the case study presented, the GAMM method has been used to analyze two existing equipment parts in a sewage treatment plant located in Chile. The equipment analyzed were two progressive cavity pumps (BCP) which are part of the industrial process in the treatment plant. Both pumps are the same make and model and subjected to the same maintenance program, but one had a higher failure rate compared to its counterpart. The application of the GAMM method has identified deficiencies in each of the pumps being studied, thus improving decision-making and problem-solving process related to the maintenance of the pumps. RCM methodology was used to draft a new maintenance plan. Copyright

Expected impact quantification–based reliability assessment methodology for Chilean copper smelting process: A case study

Currently, a lack of interpretation tools and methodologies hinders the ability to assess the performance of a single piece of equipment or a total system. Therefore, a reliability, availability, and maintainability analysis must be combined with a quantitative reliability impact analysis to interpret the actual performance and identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities. This article proposes a novel methodology that uses reliability, availability, and maintainability analysis to quantify the expected impact. The strengths of the failure expected impact methodology include its ability to systematically and quantitatively assess the expected impact in terms of reliability, availability, and maintainability indicators and the logical configuration of subsystems and individual equipment, which show the direct effects of each element on the total system. This proposed analysis complements plant modeling and analysis. Determining the operational effectiveness impact, as the final result of the computation process, enables the quantitative and unequivocal prioritization of the system elements by assessing the associated loss as a “production loss” regarding its unavailability and effect on the system process. The Chilean copper smelting process study provides useful results for developing a hierarchization that enables an analysis of improvement actions that are aligned with the best opportunities.

Propuesta de un modelo de gestión de mantenimiento y sus principales herramientas de apoyo

Este articulo presenta un modelo para la gestion integral del mantenimiento, teniendo en consideracion la caracteristica de mejora continua en el tiempo. A modo de introduccion y contextualizacion, se explica la importancia que tiene la alineacion de objetivos a todo nivel organizacional para lograr la integracion y correcta gestion de la unidad de mantenimiento. El modelo a presentar se compone de siete principales etapas, las cuales deben desarrollarse progresivamente segun el escenario actual de la organizacion, haciendo enfasis en la gestion y optimizacion sostenida en el tiempo de procesos asociados a la planificacion, programacion y ejecucion del mantenimiento. Adicionalmente, el modelo presentado complementa herramientas de apoyo para el desarrollo e implementacion de las etapas, y caracteristicas operacionales reales, las cuales podrian afectar el desempeno de la unidad de mantenimiento. Finalmente, se presentan algunas consideraciones generales y respectivas conclusiones.

A case study of GAMM (Graphical Analysis for Maintenance Management) applied to water pumps in a sewage treatment plant, Chile

Abstract This article presents a case for practical application of the GAMM method, which has been developed and published by the authors. The GAMM method supports decision-making in the overall maintenance management, through the visualization and graphical analysis of data. In addition, it allows for the identification of anomalous behaviour in the equipment analyzed, whether derived from its own operations, maintenance activities, improper use of equipment or even as a result of design errors in the equipment itself. As a basis for analysis, the GAMM method uses a nonparametric estimator of the reliability function using all historical data or, alternatively, part of the history, allowing it to perform an analysis even with limited available data. In the case study presented, the GAMM method has been used to analyze two existing equipment parts in a sewage treatment plant located in Chile. The equipment analyzed were two progressive cavity pumps (BCP) which are part of the industrial process in the treatment plant. Both pumps are the same make and model and subjected to the same maintenance program, but one had a higher failure rate compared to its counterpart. The application of the GAMM method has identified deficiencies in each of the pumps being studied, thus improving decision-making and problem solving process related to the maintenance of the pumps.

Availability Simulation Based on Pseudo-random Failure Rates: A Case Study on Industrial Process

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the availability of different possible configurations for an industrial facility which provides loading and unloading services of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) at the quay of a plant. Specific service availability is calculated with the support of OREDA database and applying random values for failure rates, which have been obtained from the mean failure rate and standard deviation provided by the mentioned database. As an additional objective, this paper shows a sensitivity analysis for service availability modifying the reliability of involved elements, which helps for example to review the physical stock structure or to readapt maintenance policies in the plant.

NHPP APPLIED TO THE REPAIR WARRANTY OF AN INDUSTRIAL ASSET

Abstract This paper seeks to address the decision process involved in setting a warranty length for a product after successive repairs are performed. The underlying failure model used is a Poisson process with hazard rate determined by a Weibull distribution, whereby successive repairs do not renew the lifetime distribution. For that purpose, the paper starts describing briefly a reference framework proposal for the warranty management and introducing the relevant literature related to LCCA. Then, the main aspects of LCCA are defined in order to be applied for the calculation of the warranty period in a product which has been sold and requires a technical assistance for its repair. This work includes as a novelty the calculation of such period of time in relationship with the risk that the company is willing to assume. The result is a procedure that may be crucial for a maintenance company, not only to make better forecasts of future warranty costs but also as an important marketing tool. With this goal, this paper describes important aspects of the stochastic model called Non-Homogeneous Poisson Process (NHPP). The mathematical development will be illustrated with a case study divided in two exercises, where the above mentioned concepts are applied to calculate the proper warranty period for a specific repaired product. Finally, the conclusions are presented summarizing the main contributions of the paper.

Methodological proposal for problem resolution in industrial activities based on failure mode analysis. Case applied in the cellulose industry, Chile

Abstract This article proposes an integral methodology based in the failure mode analysis for problem resolution related to the reliability of industrial assets or problems. The failure mode is an event that precedes the physical occurrence of a failure and, therefore, the loss of function in the asset in question. For this reason, the identification and analysis of the modes is the starting point for the proposed methodology. This methodology takes into account, in addition, key aspects such as: hierarchization of equipment, identification of root causes and optimal solutions. The paper is structured as follows: section 2 performs a revision of the principal techniques applied in the area of reliability. Section 3 describes step by step the methodological proposal through a logical sequence of stages. Later, section 4 presents a real case application of the proposed methodology developed in the Arauco Cellulose Plant, Plant Trupan-Cholguan, in Yungay, Chile. Concretely, the methodology proposed applies to problem resolution in fluidized bed combustion. Last, the results and conclusions of the completed investigation are shown.