MMK begins pilot operation of an equipment reliability management information system
The implementation of the new software allowed MMK to adopt modern strategies for managing production assets and focus on key components such as safety, efficiency, environmental friendliness and mitigation of failure risks in the maintenance of assets.
The project to implement an information system for managing the reliability of production assets based on the GE Meridian APM software product was launched at MMK in the spring of 2020. This was the logical next step in a series of measures already taken to introduce a risk-based approach in maintenance and repair (MRO). To successfully carry out the previous stages of the project, the organisational structure of MMK’s main service enterprise – OSK LLC – was modified by allocating reliability and planning functions. Regulatory documents have been developed (methods and instructions on reliability management) and methodological specialist training has been conducted.
The implementation of the automated system was carried out by specialists of Maintex LLC, MMK-Informservice LLC and USC LLC. The long products shop and rolling mill No.5 were selected as the pilot areas for the project. A significant amount of work has been done: the IT system has been adapted to the client's requirements, integration flows of Meridian with the Oracle Repairs module, Informix EDMS and Monitoring-2014 have been implemented, and training for managers and specialists has been conducted.
The integration of the reliability management system with MMK’s corporate information system based on Oracle e-Business Suite V12 (CIS) enabled an increased assurance of the availability of equipment to perform production functions, to complete the development cycle and to prepare service strategies and their execution and accounting.
Meridian APM can automatically and comprehensively assess the correlation between repairs and their service impacts, the cost of corrective and proactive work, the cost of production losses, repair costs and the availability and readiness of equipment. It can also determine risks, based on calculated assumptions, allocate resources (both financial and labour), as well as calculating equipment criticality and acceptable levels of failure risk.
The main effect of the transition to using a reliability management information system is manifested in an increase in the effective operating time of equipment and an increase in the safety of equipment operation. Additional effects are a reduction in planned costs based on the level of equipment failure risks acceptable to the business, as well as an increase in the availability of information about the current state of equipment and the root causes of unscheduled failures.
Based on the results of the pilot operation, in 2021, MMK plans to continue to develop the system and share the best practices that have been proven effective across MMK Group.