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Overview of Reliability
Reliability is a special attribute that describes the dependability of a component. This means that the component consistently performs a desired function under certain conditions for a certain period of time in order to meet business goals and customer needs. Theoretically, reliability can be described as:
Reliability = 1 - Probability of Failure
Thus, the lower the probability of failure, the greater the reliability of the system. However, there are many factors that can contribute to the uncertainty involved with any new design and capital project including variations in materials, manufacturing plants, shipping, storage, and use.
Another way of thinking about reliability is the quality of the component over time. A common term used in a reliability engineering context is mean time between failures (MTBF). MTBF is a metric that describes the average time it takes for a specific component to failure. MTBF does not measure the time when a component is waiting for repair or being repair; rather, it measures the time only when the component is operating. This is an important parameter to consider in the decision-making process when investing in new equipment. The higher the MTBF the higher the reliability of the product.
Reliability Engineering
The responsibility of a reliability engineer is to increase the dependability and safety of a component in service. Additionally, reliability engineers work together with design, inspection, and maintenance individuals to identify failures and their causes. Common tools reliability engineers use across the entire equipment lifecycle include:
- Risk analysis techniques
- Exploratory experiments
- Accelerated life testing
- Modeling
- Process control techniques
- Product and process testing
- Root cause analysis
- Failure modes and effects analysis
- Field data analysis1
Furthermore, reliability engineers are expected to be able to align equipment performance with business goals, identify risks and failure modes, estimate remaining life and performance, and minimize variability.
Common Responsibilities of a Reliability Engineer
Reliability engineers are expected to:
- Notify management of upcoming inspections and recommendations, deficiencies in processes, and corrective actions.
- Use probability and statistic tools for risk and process hazard assessments.
- Comply with standards and specifications defining requirements for design, construction, inspection, testing, decommissioning, and integrating new components with aging infrastructure.
- Analyze and interpret reliability data and provide recommendations on how the data can be used to measure and improve performance and reliability.
- Understand the value of reliability and how to build a business case
- Establish testing, inspection, and maintenance priorities and recommend frequency in which these procedures should be performed.
- Develop strategies for planning, inspecting, and maintaining the reliability of assets throughout the equipment’s lifecycle.
- Measure and report key performance indicators.
- Understand the value of investing in reliability and how to build a business case to present to the owners of the company.
- Lead change (i.e., change in processes, strategies, etc.).
- Stay informed about new and developing processes.
- Maintain equipment history and inspection and maintenance records. Data should be stored in a centralized computer maintenance management system. Changes to data can only be done so in a master database system.
Certification and Training
A certified reliability engineer is one who aims for performance improvement and manages asset safety, reliability, and maintenance throughout the component’s life cycle.2 A combination of professional work experience and education are considered for certification. The following outline provides an overview of specific topics that a reliability engineer should be familiar with for certification. A detailed list of the minimum necessary knowledge and skills can be found in the Body of Knowledge document.3
- Reliability Management
- Probability and Statistics for Reliability
- Reliability in Design and Development
- Reliability Modeling and Predictions
- Reliability Testing
- Maintainability and Availability
- Data Collection and Use
Equipment Reliability
Strategy for Optimizing Equipment Reliability
Equipment reliability is measured in terms of quality, performance, and productivity. The goal of an equipment reliability program is to effectively monitor equipment, procedures, and data covering the life of equipment. Advantages of a reliability program include eliminating unexpected shutdowns, reducing production losses that occur between start-up and operation, and extending the life of the asset. Additionally, company’s typically experience a reduction in costs of repair and maintenance, reduction in delay, and increases in safety.
Methods to Ensure Reliability of Equipment
Besides the engineering practices described above, there are three other essential components to equipment reliability: maintenance, inspection, and technology.
1) Maintenance
Maintenance can be divided into three categories, preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance. Preventive measures are taken to eliminate unnecessary inspection and repair tasks. Predictive maintenance generally involves nondestructive inspection techniques to monitor the serviceability of the equipment. Corrective maintenance involves repairing or replacing components to restore equipment back to its operating conditions. Collectively, these tasks should be managed in a well developed reliability centered maintenance program.
2) Inspection
Nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are used extensively throughout the lifecycle of equipment to locate and monitor damage mechanisms. Furthermore, inspection plays a major role in any equipment reliability program. Some common NDT methods used in the petroleum and chemicals industries include radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, electromagnetic testing, and many more. When selecting an NDT method several considerations should be taken into account including the type of damage, where the damage is located (external or internal), and the size, shape, and orientation of the damage.
Additionally, there are two other types of inspection that provide information on the reliability and remaining life of equipment. These include risk-based inspection (RBI) and fitness-for-service (FFS) assessments. Put simply, the purpose of RBI is to identify and understand risk in order to reduce uncertainty about the condition of equipment. FFS assessments are performed to determine if a component is suitable for continued service.
3) Technology
New advancements in technology, such as sensors, will be able to greatly improve the overall reliability of the system. Sensors can provide data on the performance and condition on the equipment in real-time to make better decisions for preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance.
References
- Schenkelberg, Fred. “Introduction to Reliability Engineering Management.” Inspectioneering Journal, vol. 21, no. 1, 2015.
- Reliability Engineer Certification offered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ)
- ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) Body of Knowledge
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Articles about Reliability
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March/April 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Troy Goldman at Sun Coast Resources, Inc.
According to industry experts, particle contamination in lubricants is the number one cause of lubricant-related equipment failure. Fortunately, there are steps operators can take to reduce contamination and increase the service life of equipment.
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January/February 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This article provides a summary of the 2019 API Inspection & MI Summit keynote address, which offers a past, present, and future outlook on fixed equipment mechanical integrity from an industry professional with 50+ years of experience.
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A Quest for Defect-Free Plant Operation, Part 1: Understanding and Applying a Lean Business Model to Processing Facilities
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January/February 2019 Inspectioneering JournalBy Houssam Sabry at ADNOC LNG, and Asad Ali at ADNOC LNG
An effective RBI system implementation results in, not only safeguarding your assets & people, but can also reduce unnecessary inspection activities that may be required due to conventional & nonsystematic approaches.
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BlogJanuary 9, 2019 By John Reynolds at Intertek
The 2019 API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit will be kicking off later this month in Galveston, TX. This four-day event will begin with 14 high level training courses offered Monday, January 28th, and then a top notch conference and exhibition running from Tuesday, January 29th through Thursday, January 31st. If you've been then you already know; but if you haven't been, here are the top reasons you need to attend.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Asquini at T.A. Cook
This article discussed the importance of an asset management philosophy that integrates software, maintenance tools (RCM, FMECA, RBI, PM, and PdM), data collection, and analytics to improve and optimize asset management through emerging technologies and methodologies.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tim Hill at Quest Integrity Group
This article provides an overview of the key components in establishing IOWs, the levels of IOW limits, and the basic principles and application of API Recommended Practice 584 to achieve reliable fired heater performance.
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November/December 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Campo at PinnacleART
This article walks you through a three-step approach, while providing different scenarios, for identifying and proving the value of reliability improvement initiatives.
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September/October 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy James "Chezo" Cesarini, PE at Pro-Surve Technical Services, LLC
The most valuable unit of measure within a turnaround is not money, but time. Successful turnaround planners are now integrating the Detailed Inspection Planner (DIP) within their teams to increase the accuracy of planning and reduce the time required to complete the turnaround.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy James R. Widrig at Quest Integrity, and James Wilson at Quest Integrity
As assets age and production demands grow, it becomes increasingly critical to implement sustainable long-term AIM strategies and programs. This article dives into the elements that will help ensure the successful management of assets throughout their life-cycle.
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May/June 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dheeraj Narang at Haldor Topsoe India Pvt Ltd.
This article intends to use a top-down approach of describing RBI methodology and how it fits in a facility management system. The main idea of this article is to provide a comprehensive picture of RBI methodology in terms of basics, technology trends, implementation guidance, and evaluating a potential RBI technology partner.
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March/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This article is designed to help the reader better communicate their FEMI Mission, Vision, Core Values and Responsibilities to all stakeholders at their site.
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Addressing the Great Crew Change - A Recap of the Fall 2017 Meeting of the Minds Roundtable DiscussionMarch/April 2018 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tyler Alvarado at Inspectioneering
Last November, Inspectioneering and PinnacleART hosted a roundtable discussion for a select group of leading mechanical integrity experts. This forum explored how the MI field will have to prepare for the impending loss of knowledge resulting from the “Great Crew Change.”
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Building Your Reliability Program: An Interview with Eddie Acosta, Reliability Manager at Placid Refining
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November/December 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Stephen Flory at PinnacleART
APM implementation is anything but a pain-free process. Blame tends to fall on vendors, but there are oftentimes activities that do not get completed that tend to have a larger effect on the success of implementation. This article addresses some of those activities.
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July/August 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mark Savage at Sentinel Integrity Solutions, Inc.
3 common repair scenarios include routine maintenance, scope repairs, and major discoveries. An inspector’s ability to properly manage each situation can mean the difference between mechanical integrity success and failure.
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July/August 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Rick Hoffman at Becht Engineering
Most plants have pieces of equipment with chronic problems that impact profitability due to the frequency of outages, cost of repairs, and lost production. It is critical that specific actions are taken to identify and eliminate these “Bad Actors.”
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May/June 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Asquini at T.A. Cook
Risk is an inherent aspect of asset management. Unfortunately, controlling it is easier said than done. Risk must be managed beginning with the initiation of a project and lasting until completion. How can one implement a reliable risk management program while balancing organizational demands?
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LOTIS utilizes laser profilometry to conduct internal steam reformer tube inspections. The data captured by LOTIS is exceptionally powerful when combined with our LifeQuest™ remaining life assessment capabilities, providing an integrated solution set for the process and syngas industries.
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Online Article
The Valve World Americas Conference provides an opportunity for people from all sides of the flow control industry to come together to discuss experiences, share insights and work together to resolve common challenges. Sharing knowledge and networking between professionals is essential to gain benefits from the latest news within the industry and to help ignite and inspire interest in the industry.
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
Inspectioneering Founder and Chief Editor, Greg Alvarado, recently had the privilege to sit down with Clay White, Director of Mechanical Integrity for Phillips 66 (Downstream), to discuss the world of fixed equipment reliability in the refining and petrochemical industry.
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy A.C. Gysbers at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs) have a subset of operating variables that are important for degradation monitoring, but may not have direct operational controls. Per API RP 584 Integrity Operating Windows, these are known as IOW Informational Limits, which are often neglected or misunderstood by operations or technical personnel within a plant.
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January/February 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy David Aldrich at North Highland, and Teri Mendelovitz at North Highland
This article covers where to start, what to look for, and how to execute a data and systems-focused performance improvement project that can drive large overhead savings.
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January/February 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Edwin A. Merrick, PE at The Augustus Group
This article presents a perspective on the human factor and emphasizes the value of using risk tools at all levels in the organization to help provide management focus during times of severe economic pressure.
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Program Evergreening and Sustainability Assistance is Key to Establishing Successful Integrity and Reliability ProgramsSeptember/October 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Kevin Birkby at PinnacleART
Integrity and reliability personnel at processing facilities are no strangers to initiatives to improve processes in the pursuit of establishing best-in-class reliability programs. It is common practice for operators to enlist help from third parties that specialize in implementation of programs like Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) and Asset Management.
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March/April 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Tim Hill at Quest Integrity Group
Achieving fired heater reliability in conjunction with meeting performance standards can be a challenging feat. Performance is a measure of the degree to which the fired heater is in an operable condition at any given time.
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March/April 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
Inspectioneering recently had an opportunity to sit down with Walt Sanford, President and COO of Pinnacle Advanced Reliability Technologies, and discuss what Reliability means to his clients and others in our industry. We hope you find the exchange interesting and informative.
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Keys to Success: How to Design and Use Effective Reliability and Integrity Program Assessments to Drive Sustainable ImprovementsJanuary/February 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Walt Sanford at PinnacleART, and Mauricio Olivares at Pinnacle ART
Equipment integrity and reliability programs are essential for refinery and chemical facility operators. The processes of the programs are developed to ensure safety, optimize component life cycles, and promote smooth and economical operations.
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November/December 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Fernando Vicente at ABB, and Khulani Ndimande at ABB Consulting
This article highlights several benefits of sound reliability and mechanical integrity practices and how they serve as the cornerstone of effective asset management. Moreover, we believe effective asset integrity management is not only important, but essential, to overcoming the challenges presented by operating in the current oil and gas market.
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September/October 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to sit down with Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton and discuss the evolution of reliability in the oil and gas industry.
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September/October 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Brad Moore at PinnacleART
Operators in all industries are trying to increase equipment availability, yet oftentimes critical process equipment is not available due to planned or unplanned maintenance. To increase equipment availability, steps must be taken to reduce downtime. One way to achieve this is to ensure that spare parts are organized and available in the event repairs are needed.
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Walt Sanford at PinnacleART
Today, many managers are finding that they can address the reliability of all types of assets by combining RBI and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) processes together into one comprehensive reliability management process.
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January/February 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Fred Schenkelberg at FMS Reliability
Reliability engineering tools and concepts can be used to avoid or delay failures, thus increasing product service life. Design or maintenance teams use reliability engineering techniques to identify failures and their causes.
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BlogJanuary 6, 2014 By Nick Schmoyer at Inspectioneering
In 2013 Inspectioneering published content covering a wide array of topics, from risk-based inspection, to advanced nondestructive testing methods, to pipeline integrity management systems. Last year, we published more content than any year prior; we expect the same trend to continue into 2014.
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March/April 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy Barry Snider at Small Hammer Incorporated
Risk Based Integrity Management (RBIM) is the latest process for developing strategies to properly operate and maintain a manufacturing or production facility in the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industry (OG&P). RBIM is a significant change from previous processes that drive the industry into specific directions for managing risk.
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May/June 2011 Inspectioneering JournalBy Joey Poret at Chevron
As the technology of NDT systems improve, it is important to assure that the people and processes using this technology are adequately prepared in order to take full advantage of the enhancements of the system.
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September/October 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy T.C. Ridgeway & Staff at TCRI
In part 1 of this article we covered the importance of quality assurance of UT data, that is, understanding for each particular application, the accuracy required of the UT data, and new ways/graphical program to analyze and show the interrelationships of data by location for trending. Part 1 article areas then included: -UT Data Reporting and Evaluation -Imaging UT Data Evaluating the Quality of Static UT Data -Visual Trending of UT data -Mathematical Trending of UT Data Now, in Part 2, we will cover data quality issue statistics and possible sources of poor quality UT data.
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November/December 1996 Inspectioneering JournalBy Lynne Kaley at Trinity Bridge LLC / Trinity Bridge Digital, Eivind Johnsen at DNV Inc., and Andy Tallin at DNV Inc.
Petroleum coke production is an important source of revenue for many refineries. While coking units were initially constructed to deal with a waste product, these units are now of significant economic value.
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November/December 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy David A. Mauney at Southwest Research Institute
In the aging portion of an asset's life, the failure rate is exponential. This creates a need for predictive maintenance expenditures to maintain reliability.
Videos related to Reliability
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Sponsored Video Published on December 13, 2018Although CUI is widely recognized as a primary driver for damage in the petrochemical industry, the solutions often lack the sophistication devoted to other damage mechanisms.
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Sponsored Video Published on November 8, 2018Many refining, gas processing, and petrochemical plants have already identified the need to define Integrity Operating Windows, but most are still unsure how to extract the most value from them.
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Published on July 25, 2018In this Whiteboard Discussion, Greg Alvarado provides a simple answer to an even simpler question: Why do we inspect?
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Sponsored Video Published on August 18, 201530-minute interview on the evolution of reliability and its role within the energy and process industries with Ryan Sitton, Texas Railroad Commissioner.
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Sponsored Video Published on May 27, 201560-minute webinar presented by PinnacleART on the evolution of inspection and mechanical integrity programs in the refining and process industries.
Downloads & Resources related to Reliability
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Checklist
This checklist serves as a companion piece to the Inspectioneering webinar, CUI: A Proactive Approach, and contains some elements to consider when looking for data gaps in your CUI program.
Events related to Reliability
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September 19 - 20 2019Location: Nanjing, China
Hosted By: Materials Technology Institute
Dates: September 19, 2019 - September 20, 2019
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February 24 - 28 2020Location: Banff, Alberta, Canada
Hosted By: IPEIA
Dates: February 24, 2020 - February 28, 2020
Conferences Exhibitions & Trade Shows Training Courses -
September 24 - 25 2019Location: College Station, Texas, United States
Hosted By: ASME
Dates: September 24, 2019 - September 25, 2019
Conferences Symposiums -
October 14 - 17 2019Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Hosted By: American Petroleum Institute
Dates: October 14, 2019 - October 17, 2019
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March 15 - 19 2020Location: Houston, Texas, United States
Hosted By: NACE International
Dates: March 15, 2020 - March 19, 2020
Conferences Exhibitions & Trade Shows Seminars & Workshops -
November 18 - 21 2019Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Hosted By: American Petroleum Institute
Dates: November 18, 2019 - November 21, 2019
Exhibitions & Trade Shows Standards & Committee Meetings
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November 4 - 6 2019Location: Houston, Texas, United States
Hosted By: IQPC
Dates: November 4, 2019 - November 6, 2019
Conferences Exhibitions & Trade Shows -
November 18 - 21 2019Location: Mumbai, India
Hosted By: Refining Community
Dates: November 18, 2019 - November 21, 2019
Conferences Exhibitions & Trade Shows Training Courses
News related to Reliability
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NewsInternational Pressure Equipment Integrity Association (IPEIA), August 13, 2019
IPEIA is currently accepting technical presentation abstracts for the 2020 IPEIA Conference and Tradeshow. Abstracts are being accepted up until September 6, 2019.
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