Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 - (Page 6)

upfront Challenges & Opportunities As I write this letter, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, legislation that provides for a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street banks, has just been introduced to Congress, who will now decide its fate. $700 billion is a hard number to comprehend, and is an unprecedented move to shore up the U.S. economy. The major cause of the problem is bad mortgage debt, which has led to a complete meltdown in the U.S. financial market. Whether driven by greed or, if you prefer to be cheerful, just an unbridled optimism, our financial institutions lent money to people who were clearly not qualified for the sums they were given. Like a gambler riding a hot streak, they kept lending money, banking on the continuation of the bull market in real estate prices. Somewhere along the way, they abandoned reason. And now we, the American taxpayers, are paying the price for these bad decisions. In this month’s Reliability section, Neil Bloom draws some very interesting parallels between the mortgage market and maintenance in industrial facilities. The bottom line is this, don’t abandon reason when it comes to maintenance, don’t leave your facility’s production capacity up to a string of good luck. No matter how you feel about the bailout, the fact remains that we are in a time of a very shaky economy. In times like these, reliability becomes even more important. Now, more than ever, it is vital to seek any improvements possible in the maintenance and reliability of your facilities. In this issue, we profile programs that have done just that (page 18). Our 2008 Uptime Magazine PdM Program of the Year Award winners have all built exceptional maintenance programs, which, through reduced maintenance costs and increased productivity, have made their entire organizations stronger. I encourage you to read about these winning programs, and to learn from what these industry leading programs are doing. If you would like more information about any of them, I would be happy to give you their contact information so you can start a direct conversation. Also, please take a look at the information about the 23rd International Maintenance Conference, taking place in December in Bonita Springs, Florida. This conference has a power packed line up of workshops, speakers, learning labs, and more. It will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and learn from maintenance professionals facing the same challenges you are facing in these volatile times. Don’t forget, with every challenge comes opportunity, and I believe the current economic situation is an opportunity to show just how important maintenance and reliability is to your organization. I hope you enjoy this issue. As always, thank you for reading. We appreciate your support, and hope you find value within these pages. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions that will make Uptime more useful to you, please let us know. uptime volume 4, issue 31 PUBLISHER Terrence O’Hanlon EDITOR IN CHIEF Jeffrey C Shuler EDITORIAL ADVISORS/ CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ron Eshleman Greg Stockton Ray Thibault Jack Nicholas, Jr. Dr. Howard Penrose James Hall Alan Johnston Jay Lee, PhD John Mitchell Jason Tranter ADVERTISING SALES Bill Partipilo 888-575-1245 x 114 sales@uptimemagazine.com EDITORIAL INFORMATION Please address submissions of case studies, procedures, practical tips and other correspondence to Jeff Shuler, Editor In Chief Uptime Magazine PO Box 60075 Ft. Myers, FL 33906 888-575-1245 x 116 jshuler@uptimemagazine.com to subscribe to Uptime, log on SUBSCRIPTIONS www.uptimemagazine.com Uptime Magazine is a founding member of AMP the association for maintenance professionals All the best, Jeff Shuler Editor In Chief jshuler@uptimemagazine.com Uptime® (ISSN 1557-0193) is published monthly by Reliabilityweb.com, PO Box 60075, Ft. Myers, FL 33906, 888-575-1245. In the U.S. Uptime is a registered trademark of Reliabilityweb.com. No part of Uptime may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from Reliabilityweb.com. Uptime is an independently produced publication of Reliabilityweb.com. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Reliabilityweb.com. Copyright© 2008 by Reliabilityweb.com. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Uptime Magazine PO Box 60075, Ft. Myers, FL 33906. 6 october/november 2008 http://www.uptimemagazine.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com http://www.Reliabilityweb.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: An Asset Management Oasis in the Desert Information Technology: Streamlining Through Simplicity Lubrication: Phases for Framing a Solid Foundation Infrared: Do Your Homework Before You Buy Maintenance Management: Get It Together by Getting Together Motor Testing: Key Elements in Motor Decision Making Precision Maintenance: Shedding Some Light on Tolerances Reliability: RCM & the Mortgage Meltdown Ultrasound: A Multidimensional Tool Vibration: The Whirling Pump Mystery, Solved with ODS Upgrade: Are You Looking in the Right Place for Your Wear Debris?

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

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