Enhancing Reliability in Operations: Everyday Responsibilities of a Reliability Engineer

Question:

As a Reliability Engineer with one year of experience, I am looking for ways to enhance the reliability of our operations. While I am the sole reliability engineer in our department, we also have two individuals with backgrounds in millwright and electrical work who are responsible for gathering vibration data and utilizing IR cameras for predictive maintenance. Currently, I provide support to maintenance managers as needed, but I believe there are additional ways I can contribute to increasing reliability. What are the everyday responsibilities of a reliability engineer? How can I optimize my effectiveness in this role? Any insights or suggestions would be greatly valued. Thank you for your help.

Top Replies

I understand your sentiments, LKTTU. Our work often combines the roles of Maintenance Engineer and Reliability Engineer, which I find fulfilling. We handle various tasks that involve coordinating maintenance practices with personnel, equipment users, and ensuring data integrity in our CMMS system. Our department also tackles immediate needs as they arise. It can be challenging for a single department to make a significant impact within an organization, especially when some companies attempt to establish an "RCM Department" in this way. Fortunately, our team is skilled in using CMMS systems, database query tools, and Excel, allowing us to address issues effectively. One of our successful initiatives involves analyzing CMMS Problem Codes to identify emerging problem trends. By consulting equipment manufacturers, we have been able to address systemic issues and negotiate solutions, demonstrating tangible results that satisfy management. Currently, our department is focused on projects such as PM Optimization, CMMS Equipment Module Data Integrity, and Equipment Lay-up and Reactivation. These projects involve refining preventive maintenance schedules, ensuring equipment data accuracy, and developing plans for equipment maintenance and activation. We emphasize tracking improvements through charts and spreadsheets to showcase the value of our projects. The distinction between Maintenance Engineering and Reliability Engineering roles may be unclear in the industry, with both terms often used interchangeably. Best of luck. J-

Are you looking to improve your uptime, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure technical integrity in the next five years? Start by assessing your current performance in these areas and creating a detailed plan to achieve your goals. Identify necessary actions, resources, and training, and get your team on board with your vision. Develop an implementation plan and start working towards success, all while managing your current responsibilities.

Thank you both for sharing your input. I am intrigued by the concept of setting goals and creating plans, but I am unsure of how to approach this process. As someone who is relatively new to the industrial environment, I am still in the learning phase and unsure of what a realistic reliability goal would look like. Can you provide any recommendations or tips for setting these goals effectively?

To enhance plant operations, initiate conversations with plant operators to identify persistent issues causing them the most difficulties. Prioritize tackling a few long-standing, minor problems to set achievable goals. Beginning with easier tasks increases your likelihood of success and credibility. Collaborate with operators and encourage their participation for long-term benefits and improved efficiency. This proactive approach will yield positive results over time.

As a Reliability Engineer with over five decades of experience, I understand the challenges you may be facing. While I agree with the previous comments, I recommend checking out the insights shared by Bob Nelms in his recent article. Implementing a bottom-up approach for reliability improvements can be effective without immediate top management approval. You can find Nelms' article at the following link for more guidance: http://www.failsafe-network.com/LCA%20Approach/Failsafe...ument%2004-28-07.pdf Best of luck with your endeavors!

I believe as a Reliability Engineer, your goal should not only be reactive (i.e. fixing problems when they arise) but also proactive. You might want to spend more time on predictive and preventative maintenance. By analyzing the data from your vibration and IR camera, you can detect any unusual patterns and rectify them before they become bigger issues. Work on tip-top communication with your team. Ensure that they understand why they're gathering the data and how it contributes to the overall reliability. Lastly, consider pursuing continuous education and certifications in reliability engineering - this can provide new methodologies and perspectives on how to better manage reliability in your field. Remember, your goal is to ensure smooth and efficient operations. Not just fixing problems, but also preventing them.

From my perspective as a seasoned Reliability Engineer, I believe that a large part of your role revolves around failure prediction and prevention. This means you should be thoroughly familiar with reliability testing and analyses, like FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), RCA (Root Cause Analysis), and MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure). Furthermore, effective communication and collaboration with the maintenance team, as well as other departments, to ensure understanding and implementation of reliability principles is vital. Your background in millwright and electrical work is a great asset, as hands-on experience will yield practical insights in your analyses. Also, make sure to keep learning - continuous education in the latest methods, tools, and technologies in reliability engineering can make a big difference in your effectiveness. If your company supports it, you might also consider becoming a Certified Reliability Engineer. It's not necessarily required, but it can bring you up to speed on modern techniques and boost your credibility in the field.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQ: 1. What are the everyday responsibilities of a reliability engineer?

Answer: - Everyday responsibilities of a reliability engineer may include analyzing data to identify potential equipment failures, developing maintenance strategies, conducting reliability assessments, collaborating with maintenance teams, and implementing reliability improvement initiatives.

FAQ: 2. How can a reliability engineer optimize their effectiveness in their role?

Answer: - To optimize effectiveness, a reliability engineer can focus on proactive maintenance strategies, utilize data-driven approaches for decision-making, foster collaboration with cross-functional teams, continuously seek opportunities for improvement, and stay updated on industry best practices and technologies.

FAQ: 3. How can a reliability engineer contribute to increasing reliability in operations?

Answer: - A reliability engineer can contribute to increasing reliability by identifying failure patterns, recommending preventive maintenance measures, implementing predictive maintenance techniques, analyzing equipment performance data, and providing support for maintenance managers and technicians.

FAQ: 4. What additional ways can a reliability engineer enhance reliability in operations?

Answer: - Additional ways a reliability engineer can enhance reliability in operations include conducting root cause analyses for failures, implementing reliability-centered maintenance practices, facilitating training programs for maintenance staff, and leveraging advanced technologies such as condition monitoring systems and reliability software tools.

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