Boosting Runtime and Production Factors with Reliability Centered Maintenance

The cement industry continues to face challenging market conditions that have led to a continuous effort to optimize resources and operations while maintaining environmental and personnel safety. Having the most technically-advanced production equipment alone is not enough. Proactive maintenance practices are key to achieving market demands, and the challenge of developing and retaining talented personnel are critical factors for success.This paper presents the close collaboration between cement producers and a technology supplier during development and implementation of a maintenance program based on Reliability Centered Maintenance methodology. The concept follows a systematic approach to define where and when to apply time and materials targeting continuous operation, while the path to implementation flows through the following processes:•Review and definition of the Plant’s Operational Context•Establish levels of Asset Criticality•Development of the asset specific maintenance strategies with detailed plans and procedures•Development and implementation of a mentoring program focused on the reliability and maintenance execution staffThe success of this implementation confirms how a combined effort between two organizations can lead to optimized performance with availability factor indicators increasing and maintenance costs decreasing.