Pre-Conference Workshop A
Root Cause Problem Elimination
IDCON believes that 80% of all problems can be solved by the frontline operations and maintenance hourly, supervisors, and planners. To implement Root Cause Problem Elimination in a plant/ mill, it is necessary to design a simple, yet effective model. This 2-hour workshop will provide an overview of the root cause problem elimination project:

• Summary of root cause problem elimination
• What is a problem
• Finding and reporting problems on the plant floor
• Informal and formal triggers
• Specify a problem
• Collecting information
• Identifying Potential Causes
• Identify Possible Solutions
• Analyze and Select Best Solution(s)
• Validate the Solution
• Document, train and Implement the solution
• Integration of Root Cause problem Elimination and planning and scheduling
• Integration of Root Cause problem Elimination and preventive maintenance
• Operations, Maintenance, and engineering in root cause problem elimination
• Short Exercises

Tor Idhammar, VP and Partner, IDCON, Inc., Raleigh, NC

OR

Pre-Conference Workshop B
Building a Bill of Materials
In an informal, hands-on style, the seminar presents and discusses the methodology required to build a functional and accurate Bill of Materials for a CMMS database for facility spare parts and operating supplies.  Starting with the existing parts storeroom, Frank discusses consolidating and organizing, part numbering methods, standardized descriptions, establishing Min/Max levels and reorder quantities, and obsolescing parts.  This “hands-dirty” approach changes MRO-parts storerooms from a reactive practice to a lean and reliable, proactive process. 

Frank  Murphy, Inventory Management Services, President, Greenville, SC

Pre-Conference Workshop C
Vibration Analysis:  Simplified Condition Based Maintenance
Most maintenance professionals have come to acknowledge that condition based maintenance (aka, “predictive maintenance”) is the preferred maintenance strategy.  It has been proven to support a safer work environment, while putting dollars to the bottom line.

Implementation is another issue.  What has been the hold-back?  Total cost.  Total cost includes a host of factors from manpower, time, training as well as hardware and software issues.  This workshop will focus on continuous vibration monitoring, as vibration is widely recognized as one of the key indicators of machinery health.  We will examine the benefits of a vibration monitoring strategy, as well as the many factors that weigh against the benefits. 

We will also explore some recent advances in technology (e.g., sensor design, wireless networks, web-based applications, etc.)  that can be leveraged to minimize the cost of implementing a continuous monitoring program.  Properly deployed, these advances allow an operation to benefit from 24/7 monitoring while balancing constraints on manpower and capital expenditures.

Ron Sullivan, Wilcoxon, North American Sales Manager, Germantown, MD

OR

Pre-Conference Workshop D
How to Start an Infrared Window Program and Changes Taking Place
Having an IR Program is like having a sixth sense. Today’s affordable equipment and many applications make for a short payback if used right. This speaker will help you see where it can be used, discuss safety and equipment requirements and give specific guidance on establishing an electrical preventative and predictive maintenance program along with the changes that will be taking place later in the year. Can you afford not to have one?

Martin Robinson, IRISS, President, Sarasota, FL

Pre-Conference Workshop E
Pump Economy & Reliability Basics
Even with the integration of state of the art monitoring equipment, vibration analysis, and PDM programs, basic centrifugal pump trouble shooting skills applied on a day to day basis will positively impact the service life and reliability, and overall efficiency of centrifugal pumps.    A general understanding of how a pump operates, its design, and its application will provide a foundation of knowledge to be used to trouble shoot pump and pumping system issues causing shortened life and high maintenance costs. 

Colleen Reeves, Dubric Industries, VP of Business Development, Comstock Park, MI
Bob Boelens, Dubric Industries, VP of Manufacturing, Comstock Park, MI

Pre-Conference Workshop G
Setting Up a Lubrication Plan for your Plant
Historically, industrial maintenance organizations have relied upon the skills, knowledge, and experience of their team members to determine what work gets done and how it is carried out. This poses problems for organizations that seek to standardize practices across multiple plants and/or divisions. 
The skill sets have and will continue to decline, as a result of, significant staffing cutbacks, over the past 15 + years, combined with the fact baby boomers will begin to retire in droves, in 2008. The industrial maintenance organization of the future will increasingly come to resemble maintenance organizations that serve commercial aviation and nuclear power industries - heavily dependent upon procedures to define what and how a job is accomplished. Learn the key elements to develop, deploy, and deliver an effective procedure-based lubrication program.

Mike Johnson, CMRP, CLS, MLT1, MLA1, AMRRI

OR
1:00 – 5:00pm (4 hour Workshop)
Pre-Conference Workshop F
The Nature of Failures and Some Tools to Manage Them
If you want to eliminate failures, you must first understand them. To understand them, you must learn what they look like, where they hide, and how they strike. Then and only then, can you put an action plan together to hit the failures before they get you.

Getting on top of failures will allow you drastically reduce cost, enable you to stay within budget and send your firefighter into early retirement. Bring your Einstein hairdo, a sharp pen and a big college ruled notepad to learn about:
· The Second Law of Thermodynamics related to Reliability
· Failure Analysis terms explored
· Failure Management
· 10 elements of Equipment Reliability
· Six Failure Curves

Richard Word, Whirpool, Senior Reliability Engineer, Findlay, OH

Conference Opening Seminar: Optimization of Preventive Maintenance Including Operators & Maintenance Professionals
Learn the basic concepts to prevent and detect early equipment failures from the perspective of operations and maintenance. Discover how operations process care relates to maintenance equipment care. Do you want a better understanding of the design of a cost effective preventive maintenance system for operations and maintenance? This workshop will include a discussion of a failure developing period, life of components, consequence of failure analysis and the following topics:

• Integrated Reliability – joining your preventive maintenance with operator based reliability
• Maintenance and reliability processes and their interaction
• Financial impact of preventive maintenance for operations and maintenance
• Operator procedures and equipment failure relationship
• Maintenance Prevention Techniques
• Condition monitoring Techniques
• Selecting the most cost effective preventive maintenance method.
• Inspection frequencies
• Equipment life
• Who (operations or maintenance) should do what PM task
• Setting up project mission, vision, scope, and goal
• Documenting the Preventive Maintenance System, Set expectations, and streamline process
• Key Performance Indicators
• Exercises

Tor Idhammar, VP and Partner, IDCON, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Results Oriented Reliability and Maintenance 2008
This seminar has become an institution for operations and maintenance professionals in the Process Industry.  Over 100 plants worldwide have included this RORM seminar as a part of their improvement initiatives. Since it was first included in this conference in 1988, it is updated annually to address latest findings and observations. This seminar is consistently rated “best of all” in this event, in addition to, other events around the world. Last year the seminar was rated 9.45 on a scale of 10. For optimal benefits, we encourage you to attend this seminar, together, with representatives from operations and maintenance leadership, as well as, crafts people. Seminar topics are updated up to the week prior to the conference and will include, but not be limited to:

• Key elements of successful and sustainable reliability and maintenance improvements
• Why many initiatives do not deliver projected savings
• Methodology to estimate potential savings and financial return  
• Necessary changes and paradigm busting
• Key elements of the Operations, Maintenance, Engineering partnership
• Reliability mathematics
• Operators in maintenance
• Why most planners do not plan
• Selling your improvement initiatives to top management. Reliability impact on Return On Net Assets (RONA)

Christer Idhammar, President, IDCON, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Fighting The Maintenance Crisis
More and more companies are feeling the symptoms of the maintenance crisis. Deferred maintenance is reaching chronic levels as current equipment continues to age. While sophisticated, new equipment needs more care, attention and custom configuration. Companies are struggling to find internal talent that has the skills and education to replace the retiring baby boomers. Attend this session to cover some proven solutions to this crisis, discuss innovative approaches to thrive in this adverse business environment.

Joel Leonard, Founder, SkillTV.net, Asheboro, NC

Introduction and Opening of Conference

Christer Idhammar, President, IDCON, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Maintenance Improvement Strategies During Times of Major Cultural Change – Case Study
Maintenance improvement is tough. Doing more with less resources is tough. Changing the culture, people’s attitudes, how they think about and value work is really tough.  Bruce had to deal with all these simultaneously when a mob of challenges came knocking on his door. While their journey is not over,  he ‘s going to give you rundown of the management and hourly employees joint accomplishments to date, their biggest challenges, successes, obstacles and the road ahead. This should be a riveting story with lots of valuable experiences and insights for all who face or may face those challenges in the future.  

Bruce Warrick, Maintenance Superintendent
Longview Fibre, Longview, WA 

Using a corporate strategy to identify improvement opportunities and drive improvements in Canadian and European operations – CASE STUDY
This Case Study will examine how the Tembec Corporation decided to audit its ten mills throughout Canada and Europe for maintenance practices. The audit was done to determine if there were Best Practices already within the company that could be learned, or if there was a need to seek out these Best Practices. Follow Brian as the audits are completed and gaps from best performers are identified. Learn how game plans from each site are being formulated as the ultimate objective of improving the availability and uptime of ten mills is achieved. 

Brian Clifford, Tembec, Corporate Reliability Manager, Cranbrook, BC

Highwall Miner Reliability – From Rags to Riches – CASE STUDY
At Arch Coal’s Cumberland River Mine, one of the primary pieces of equipment in the extraction of coal is the Highwall Miner. The reliability of the Highwall Miner was poor and was a key factor in the actual production of this mining machine being at 50% of its targeted tonnage. Local management made a decision to do “whatever it takes” to reach the targeted tonnage for this machine. It was well known by everyone involved that improvements in the reliability of this equipment would have to be made. This presentation is about our journey to achieve reliability beginning with a clean sheet of paper.

Terry  Taylor, Arch Coal, Manager of Equipment Reliability, Charleston, WV,
Sonny  Griffith, Arch Coal, Maintenance Engineer, Charleston, WV,

Track A Presentation 1
Achieving Reliability Within the Cost Constraints of a Budget
As global competition increases in all manufacturing sectors, maintenance departments are being asked to achieve increasing levels of equipment reliability within budgetary constraints.  To meet these demands maintenance professionals must become business professionals.  Leveraging existing or low cost technology, improving maintenance processes, and engaging plant personnel can achieve significant savings in maintenance costs and equipment reliability.

James Hudson, Trico, Director of Engineering Services, Baton Rouge, LA

Track B Presentation 1
Identifying Motor Defects Through the Six Fault Zones
One of the biggest problems faced in analyzing electrical equipment, is where the true problem exists. Fault Zone Analysis should be utilized to ensure that the real problem is being detected and not just a secondary result of the real problem. This session will help you identify six specific fault zones that should be looked at in the diagnostic process of electric motors.

David McGuire, PdMA Corporation, Product Development Manager, Tampa, FL

Track A Presentation 2
Reliability & Sustainability
This presentation will focus on using the concept of Total Cost of Ownership as it applies to maintenance and lubrication applications. Specific emphasis will be on how this analysis methodology can be used to reduce environmental impact and lower costs.

Ben Laux, Dubois Chemicals, Product Line Director, Cincinatti, OH

Track B Presentation 2
Steam Trap Maintenance
This presentation will discuss the principles and practices for effective ultrasound steam system inspection.  High energy prices and global competition dictate a need to reduce energy waste and improve system efficiencies whenever possible.  Steam, aside from being one of the most costly utilities in plants, is an essential component to product quality in many processing industries.  A major contributor to waste and inefficiency is leaks: both to atmosphere and through valves and traps. 
Ultrasound technology is used by many inspection departments and contractors around the world to identify leaks in steam traps and valves.  In order to successfully perform an ultrasound steam survey factors such as organization, planning, technology implementation, inspection methods, test procedures, recording and reporting of results must all be considered. 

Adrian Messer, UE Systems, Southeast Regional Manager, Elmsford, NY

Track A Presentation 3
How a North American Maintenance Excellence Award Winner Applies Root Cause Failure Analysis to Tackle Equipment Failures and Process Upsets – CASE STUDY
Don’t miss the chance of learning what a root cause program can deliver and how it should be structured for efficiency and quick payback. Most root cause problem programs fail in the first 12 months or are just lip service to the concept.  Attending this presentation will help you avoid many of the common mistakes and actually reap the great benefits a successful program will deliver for many years to come.

Steve Fox, Aera Energy, Reliability Engineer, Mckittrick, CA,

Track B Presentation 3
Selecting New Maintenance Software For Success – Case Study
Most maintenance and reliability professionals will be faced with the task of choosing a new maintenance software package sometime, if not multiple times, during their career. This can be overwhelming, time consuming and stressful.

This presentation will provide you with what you need to know to select the right software package. It will take you through the process, step by step, and help you organize the many issues involved in making a purchase. Factors such as ease of use, diagnostic tools and reporting, specific modules and your company’s needs, integration with other packages, and purchase price/total cost of ownership will be discussed. Case studies will be presented from companies who went through this process, as well as recent trends in the software industry.

Jennifer Ohl, MBA, Midwest Software Specialists, Inc., Chicago, IL

Track A Presentation 4
Practical Condition Monitoring at Clarion Boards – Case Study
This case study will cover reliability tools and techniques for maintenance and process.   Dave will cover reliability tools for the maintenance tool box as well as what tools should be in the production operator’s tool box. He will also discuss what has worked at Clarion Boards, what has not, and ideas for the future, as well as personal experiences where multiple disciplines were required to solve a problem. There will be discussion of everything from vibration, oil analysis, thermograph, and ultrasonic’s to low tech things like stethoscopes, strobe lights, visual inspection techniques and proper PM procurers.

Dave Lander, Clarion Boards, Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Shippenville, PA

Track B Presentation 4
Troubleshooting and Preventive Maintenance of Hydraulic Systems
Do you want reliable hydraulic systems but do not know what to do beyond oil and filter changes? Then, this presentation is for you. This hydraulics expert will teach you how to monitor the health of your systems, trouble shoot and remedy the many common problems such as overheating, leaks, severe shock and excessive power draw. When implementing these sound concepts, you will reduce hydraulic downtime, improve hydraulic utilities quality and eliminate those pesky 2am call-ins.

Al Smiley, GPM Hydraulics Consultants, President, Monroe, GA

Track A Presentation 5
Recruit, Train and Assess your Maintenance Organization of Tomorrow
Three factors have now combined to create a brewing crisis for all manufacturers: The growing shortfall of skilled workers, the accelerating number of retiring Baby Boomers and the burgeoning costs related to corporate human resource departments in the attempt to handle these issues. 
Dave will discuss how companies are addressing this crisis and a structured process to develop a more diversified maintenance organization for tomorrow.  

• Set clear direction and objectives (where does the company want to go)
• Define the strategy to get there (how does the company get there)
• Define job roles and responsibilities (who is responsible for what)
• Define desired results and track the progression (measurements)
• Recruit tomorrow’s technician today. (aptitude)

David A. Crockett, CenTec, Inc., President & CEO, Greenville, SC

Track B Presentation 5
 Oil Analysis Interpretation
For successful oil analysis interpretation, the user needs several elements at hand. First, he needs a report that displays information in a way that promotes very fast understanding of the results. Secondly, the user needs full knowledge of the lubricants in use. Third, the user needs a deep knowledge of the systems, operating characteristics, and metallurgic characteristics of the equipment.  Finally, the user needs to know the environment and how it will play a role in the results.

There are multiple providers of oil analysis services in North America., and most of them do a good job at processing samples and posting results on web applications. These labs do a fair job describing the major findings based on the information provided, but are limited to give more details because they are not in contact with the equipment or the application. Only a few labs are fully qualified to give an expanded explanation of the readings in a way that justifies the power and importance of this tool. It is then essential that the user becomes better at interpreting oil analysis results.
If it takes more than five seconds to interpret an oil analysis report, it could be that the report is too difficult to read or it could be that the basic knowledge to interpret the data is not there.  Or it could simply be that it is a very difficult case to interpret.

This session describes different formats of oil analysis reports commonly available to the public, the visuals used by these companies, and the impact they have in speeding up the interpretation. An added feature of this presentation deals with the correct sequence to read reports based on the component involved and what it means to be highly skilful on this task.

Diego  Navarro, John Deere, Service Marketing Manager, Moline, IL

Track A Presentation 6
How To Reduce Storeroom Inventory Painlessly
A storeroom is by definition a waste of capital.  It is a bucket of money that is set aside for contingencies due to the unpredictable nature of the manufacturing process.  While it is true that each maintenance department must determine the minimum number of spare components necessary to sustain production, in today’s climate of waste elimination and lean manufacturing, many organizations have made the decision to reduce storeroom inventories to much lower levels.  Once that determination has been made, the question of methodology arises, which leads to the subject matter of this presentation.  Several ideas and protocols will be presented and discussed about the least wasteful ways to eliminate the excess.  Concepts such as standardization, sales of surplus, stocking levels, suggested parts lists, obsolescence, and outright disposal will be discussed as potential avenues to the desired goal of taking the painless path to leaner parts inventories.

Ray Atkins, Maintenance Technology, Lubrication Management and Technology, Contributing Editor, Former Maintenance Superintendent at Temple-Inland’s Rome Lumber Facility , Rome, GA

Track B Presentation 6
The Contamination Equation – Cost Effective Control Equals Big Results
As a maintenance professional, you have hundreds of choices on how, when, and where to improve your equipment reliability.  From large filtration systems to alignments to specialty lubricants and many more, each method providing strengths and weaknesses – choosing the best options for your application can be challenging.   

This session seeks to provide structure to allow the participant to make informed choices on employing the most cost effective tools.  Discussions include case studies regarding the value and successes of investing in contamination control.  You will walk away with tools you can use to help you build a business case for your needs and criteria to consider in making the right selection for your program.

Trigg  Minnick, Des Case, Sales Engineer, White House, TN

Track A Presentation 7
A Reliability Centered (RCM) Case Study from the Process Industry – Case Study
One of IDCON’s client’s had problems with a critical piece of equipment.  Repeated small issues together with a major breakdown triggered a root cause problem investigation and a detailed analysis of what preventive maintenance actions should be in place.   IDCON’s junior consultant, Oli Hakansson, was asked to perform an RCM analysis of the equipment.  Oli will present the RCM methodology used, some practical pointers for RCM analysis and the final result of the work.

Oli Hakansson, IDCON, Inc., Junior Reliability & Maintenance Consultant, Raleigh, NC

Track B Presentation 7
The Importance of Alignment in Converting Industries
The effect of misalignment of rolls in the converting industry is investigated in this work. The need for preventative maintenance has always been a struggle due to competitive markets and pressing need for production. Poor misalignment can cause: wrinkles, telescoping, registration problems, asymmetric folding, increased wastage, shortened lifetime of bearings etc., just to name a few of the normal day to day problems on the production floor.

The misalignment of rolls can occur in the press, the laminator, the winder, the slitter, etc. The examples discussed include a rotogravure machine and a flexible packaging process with problems caused due to misalignment. Due to unforeseen circumstances these machines were forced to operate at lower speeds. The greater stress on the machinery caused by frequent production adjustments reduced roller life as well. After eliminating other possible causes, misalignment of rollers was suspected. Due to the limitations of time and line-of-sight, conventional optical systems of measuring roller parallelism were not viable.  Typically, the time required would have exceeded 3 days and consequently the PARALIGN was used to portray a layout of the machine to pinpoint where the possible problems could occur.

Jay Tannan, PRUFTECHNIK Service, Inc., Sales and Service Engineer, Blackwood, NJ

One Will Die - The John Martin Story; Planning & Scheduling Practices and Impact on Safety – CASE STUDY
Studies have confirmed that there is a strong correlation between reactive maintenance and safety incidents. John will discuss his own case study on the importance of planning and scheduling work to avoid safety incidents. This stirring presentation will make you look at plant safety in a new light.

John Martin, KapStone, Maintenance & Engineering Training Coordinator, Charleston, SC

Conference Wrap Up and Challenges For the Future

Christer Idhammar, President, IDCON, Inc., Raleigh, NC

Lottery and Closing  (must be present to win)