10 questions to help understand efficiency problems
If Lean manufacturing is initiated with the wrong problems in mind, the problem is exacerbated rather than improved. Here are ten questions aimed at helping uncover the true source of causes.
Developing an improvement-driven plant
Leading indicators not only help predict the lagging results, they also serve as a starting point for continuous improvement because they measure the processes that can be directly managed.
Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, April 27 to May 3: Smart cement, process safety and security controller, ac motor repair, more
Articles about a revolutionary smart cement, a process safety and security controller, ac motor repair, the age of the control engineer, and the 2015 Plant Engineering maintenance study were Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, April 27 to May 3. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.
Time for training: Five core advantages of having well-trained staff
Finding a couple of hours to train workers is tough, but the value is great and easy to measure.
Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, April 13-19: Achieving world-class manufacturing maintenance, Product of the Year winners, India at Hannover Messe, more
Articles about steps to achieving world-class manufacturing maintenance, the 2014 Product of the Year winners, India at Hannover Messe, measuring motor efficiency to understand VFD’s value, and the relationship of torque and shaft size were Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, April 13-19. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.
Outside forces cause fifth straight drop in PMI index
Pressures from oil prices, a weaker dollar and the West Coast dock strike weigh down index; PMI falls to 51.5% in March. The PMI remained above the 50% growth threshold for the index to extend the streak to almost six years; the 51.5% PMI for March still translates to a 2.6% growth in gross domestic product for the year.
A beginner’s guide to lean: Lean lessons learned
Now that we have begun a new year, it’s a good time to reflect on lean lessons learned in 2014.
Maintaining the human machine
In the same way as you maintain your equipment, workers need updates on new strategies and technology. They need to operate efficiently. Above all, they must be part of a safe operation, and that safety must be ingrained in the production process.
The double-edged sword: Saving without sacrificing
In planning maintenance strategies in 2015, managers will have to balance the demand to save money and resources without sacrificing quality.
Top 5 Plant Engineering articles, December 29 to January 4: Shutdown managers and critical path, PID loop tuning advice, choosing the right PM task frequency, more
Articles about shutdown managers and critical path, PID loop tuning advice, choosing the right PM task frequency, audit costs and benefits, and the 2014 Top Plant winners were Plant Engineering’s five most-clicked articles from last week, December 29 to January 4. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.