December - 20198 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSAssets Talk. Are You Listening?Our reliability and maintenance group use a mental model for an assets' life cycle called the D-I-P-F curve. In this illustration, you can see how design, installation, probability of failure, and failure are related over the life cycle of an asset. There are critical points in the life cycle. When explaining these, we will often use humanistic terms to personify assets. This helps operations people relate to the concept of assets and the care we can provide. In particular, we are interested in condition-based monitoring point on the curve. Condition-based monitoring is much like a routine physical with your physician. Based on your physical characteristics, age, and basic vitals, doctors will prescribe tests to understand a person's state of health. If the tests are out of acceptable criteria, the doctor can confirm with additional proofs or begin a treatment plan. The treatment plan can vary from medications to lifestyle changes. We all know early detection saves lives. It's the same for machines, early detection allows for a controlled, By Ernest Newmes, Maintenance & Reliability Superintendent, Stepan Company [NYSE:SCL]IN MY OPINIONErnest Newmes
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