MEETA Student Project Awards 2015 Winner – John Byrne, IT Carlow
Engineering Reliability and Lean Maintenance
The traditional time/age Preventive Maintenance (PM) strategy originally in use at TEVA Waterford was becoming ineffective in achieving a respectable level of reliability. Applying more PM did not give a better result, so the basis of Byrne’s project was to change the maintenance strategy to reliability centred maintenance.
Changing the strategy invited significant challenges including cultural opposition, capital approval and getting the buy-in. Psychological tools helped to overcome these challenges. Attaining a mediocre level of reliability with plant equipment is relatively easy, but to attain a level close to perfection is extremely difficult. Byrne’s project has improved reliability from 99.2 per cent to 99.9 per cent and as a result will save €483,000 every two years going forward in just one section of plant. Striving for perfection rather than mediocrity was the catalyst for this project, and this was achieved by introducing and implementing RCM at TEVA Waterford.
Certificate of Excellence – Kevin Condon, CIT
Preventive Maintenance Optimisation of a Split Mold Stent Security Machine
This project was undertaken to increase maintenance efficiency at a bottleneck manufacturing station. Through the use of six sigma methodology, DMAIC, FMEA and statistical modelling of failure data, the project has established and validated a method of optimising PM that is transferrable to other equipment families in the organisation.
The project was not without its challenges. As the equipment family consisted of 35 assets, minimum cost of maintenance models proved inadequate, requiring the development, implementation and validation of more appropriate maintenance mathematical models. The harnessing of stakeholder commitment throughout all project phases was also both challenging and critical. The project has directly resulted in significant efficiency improvements in both planned and unplanned maintenance and a capacity increase of 3,000 parts. The devised project solution and methodology, applying scientific process for a vital capacity improvement, is consequently currently being implemented in multiple sites throughout the organisation both in Ireland and globally.
Certificate of Excellence – Ronan Durston, DIT
To Optimise the Performance of Washrooms
Within Dublin airport the Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is used to track asset performance and aid asset related decision making. Based on the CMMS data the washrooms proved to be the worst offending assets in relation to cost and performance.
In order to reduce associated costs and improve washroom performance a detailed analysis of the CMMS was completed. This aided in the identification of repeating faults and inefficiencies. The use of current technologies and engineered solutions enabled the successful implementation of activities such as Planned Maintenance (PM) optimisation, urinal operation optimisation, fixture PIR conversion, lighting upgrade and water conservation initiatives.
The PM optimisation and water conservation activities were the most successful. These activities combined resulted in annual savings of €83,395 and also led to an improved passenger experience. The main constraint was due to the fact that works could only be completed during night to minimise impact on operations.
Certificate of Excellence – Michael Harrington, CIT
Fast Scan System
EMC is a global leader in the design and manufacture of large storage systems for IT departments worldwide. These storage systems contain a series of hard-drives, hundreds of thousands of which are used by EMC every quarter. Hard-drive identification is via a unique bar code system.
The scanning of hard-drive barcodes and nesting to purchase orders, an essential part of the manufacturing/distribution process, is completely manual and a monotonous/time consuming task. Based on student project identification/proposal while on work placement, EMC agreed to support an investigation of scanning process automation. Following a hugely challenging hardware/software project and personal development process, a fully functional automated fast scan prototype was designed, manufactured, commissioned and tested. Optimum speed, scanner angle, scanner distance and scanner operating modes were determined and implemented to achieve major efficiency and speed benefits. Direct benefits include a scanning process 400 per cent faster, increased productivity and the elimination of human error/monotonous process.
