Read the latest entries to each of Plant Engineering's blogs.
Lachance on CMMS is about current maintenance topics. Blogger Paul Lachance is president and chief technology officer for Smartware Group. Lachance has been developing and perfecting the company’s CMMS solution for the maintenance professional for 18 years.
Marshall on Maintenance is provided by the Marshall Institute, an asset management consulting and training company dedicated to helping companies improve the maintenance contribution to their organizational performance.
Machine Safety is J.B. Titus's blog in which he discusses machine guarding topics, including solutions assessments, regulatory compliance, gap analysis, operating efficiencies and cost savings, as well as all relevant safety standards, such as those from NFPA, ANSI, RIA, IEC, ISO and OSHA.
Research Analyst blogs are provided by IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS Inc., leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. These analyst blogs discuss hot topics in the following industries: Automotive + Transport, Communications + Wireless, Consumer Electronics, Displays, Factory Automation, Financial + ID Technologies, Lighting + LEDs, Power + Energy, Security + Fire, and Semiconductors.
Lachance on CMMS
CMMS cuts maintenance costs, increases profitsThe connection between lowering maintenance costs and enhancing profitability may not always be obvious to senior management. » more
Marshall on Maintenance
TPM has been around industry for over 25 years, and yet is still an new concept to many organizations. There are many myths and misunderstandings about TPM that circulate industry. » more
Preventative maintenance - the cost of maintaining equipmentThe cost of maintaining equipment can be much higher than we realize. Sustaining equipment for its original design consumes time, labor, materials, tools, facilities, and most importantly lost... » more
The storeroom is an integral part of an efficient and effective maintenance process. Equipment reliability, uptime, and frontline productivity rely on having the right spare parts and tools available... » more
Machine Safety
Machine Safety: Protection is better than a cureCan protection be an effective strategy for machine safety or does industry need a cure for hazards to protect employees? Here's why this questions should be asked daily. » more
Machine Safety: OSHA Top 10 Violations for 2012See the top five reasons why machine safety has become even more important in the past 10 years. Also see the Top 10 OSHA violations for 2012: Machine safety account for four. » more
Machine Safety: More on shared responsibilitiesBroad responsibilities of designing and building a safe machine from the supplier perspective were detailed in a November Control Engineering article by Steve Wright. Issues beyond that include... » more
Machine Safety: Does multitasking provide an effective illusion of safety?Is it possible to have everyone’s safety behavior in the factory exactly as it should be 24/7 without exception? Can safety performance always be at its peak? Are we capable of safe multitasking? » more
Machine Safety: Can end user companies comply with ISO 13849-1: 2006 without design engineering resources?ISO 13849-1: 2006, an international machine safety standard, is written for individuals who perform design responsibilities for control systems. What are end users responsibilities? » more
Research Analyst Blogs
The European Union’s transition to IE2 efficiency low voltage motorsThe EU's transition to IE2 efficiency low voltage motors has been challenging because of the EU's inability to force compliance. » more
Final ruling from NHTSA would save three lives every week*It is almost three years since the U.S. “Kids and Transportation Safety Act” was passed to prevent accidents while reversing, prompted by consistently high numbers of fatal accidents involving young... » more
A review of China’s machinery production for 2010, 2011Machinery production for China in 2010 was strong, growing by 28.2%. 2011 saw a strong start in the beginning of the year before dropping in the final six months to 17%. » more
What is the future for safety networking?Safety networking is on the rise, especially in Asia, but not as fast as total networking on a global level. » more
Linear motors in a Catch-22 marketThe linear motor market is set for a recovery, but the recovery may lead to yet another downturn by the end of 2012. » more