Reliability Engineering has been on the road for 30 years now, I´ve took part of this journey om the beginning of my career and the same question that many ask today I was asking 22 years ago such as: What is reliability engineering about? Which are the necessary skills to become a successful reliability engineer? Which are the industries that applies reliability engineering? Where to get this knowledge?

After 22 years, most of this question were answered but still a point that intrigues me is which are the pitfalls that will delay or jeopardize your successful reliability engineer career.

In 20 years ago, I started to work for Oil and Gas industry in Brazil. My team delivered basically safety risk analysis but were also responsible to deliver reliability analysis. When I started in this Oil and Gas company, I realised that there were a plenty of software available, including the reliability ones. So, my first action was to install this software on my computers and read the manual. But I was lucky, two months later, the company hired DNV to provide a complete training about the Software MAROS/TARO, well applied in Oil and Gas industry. In addition, I started to attend the Reliasoft training course in Sao Paulo.

After some months, I had a chance to have my first reliability project, that was a Integrated Data Center and the request was to deliver a RAM analysis to verify if the design configuration would achieve 99,99% in 20 years.

I achieved my target and delivered this RAM Analysis and in addition to demonstrate the operational availability achieved, I was able to demonstrate that we would reduce $1.400.000,00 direct cost in redundant system. Because the astonish result, this analysis was famous, and I was able to present this analysis in the second Reliability Simposium in Brasil. Since then, I started to get more and more involved in reliability analysis and deliver such analysis in different projects as well as present in national conferences such as ABRAMN, Symposium de Confiabilidade, international project such as ESREL, PSAM, ARS Europe. In 2006 I got my Certified Professional Reliability (CRP) from Reliasoft after completing the Reliability project and present in a recognized Reliability conference. From 2007 and on, I started to be more and more involved with Reliability engineering projects, present in international reliability conference and from 2011 I started to leave abroad and work as Reliability Engineer for international projects in Kuwait, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, Malaysia, Poland, Lithuania and many other international projects.

After 22 years on this path, I asked myself if I achieved a successful career as Reliability Engineer. However, to answer this question we need to understand first what a successful career is about?

The business case aims to demonstrate the Optimum Replacement Time Methodology for aged equipment, which supports the best replacement time decision related to aging asset where the preventive maintenance are not able to recover the reliability to a state economically feasible. Such proposed methodology encompasses different methods through the implementation steps such as RAM analysis, Lifetime data analysis, Reliability Growth Analysis and Equipment Operation Cost Analysis. In order to demonstrate such methodology a case study about critical compressor of the UFCC refinery plant will be assessed.

 Key Words: RAM analysis, Lifetime Data Analysis, Reliability Growth Analysis, Operational Cost Analysis, Best Replacement time.

The business case aims to demonstrate the lifetime data analysis methodology application from the historical failure data collection to the reliability prediction. Therefore, the concepts of reliability, Probability density function, goodness fit methods, and reliability prediction will be presented as the basis for the LDA application. In order to demonstrate the LDA, the process pump case study will be demonstrated in the end.

Key Words: Lifetime Data Analysis (LDA), Probability Density Function (PDF), Goodness of fit methods, Chi-square method.

Abstract

In order to support the asset high performance achievement throughout the life cycle the paper will demonstrate the optimization methodology based on Dynamic Programming Algorithm integrated to the apmOptimizer software which enable to predict the asset performance, such as production efficiency, operational availability, reliability and also take into account the asset configuration, maintenance, inspection policies to minimize the life cycle cost.

The proposed methodology enables to optimize the asset performance based on Dynamic Programming Algorithm as part of the apmOptimizer software which enables to take into account operational availability, reliability, maintenance, inspection and spare parts. In order to demonstrate such methodology an offshore process plant case will be demonstrated considering the integration of such factors to minimize the asset life cycle cost (CAPEX and OPEX) throughout the life cycle.
The final results will demonstrate the advantages of the optimized solution when compared with other solution. The final result will show the trade off analysis considering the operational availability and Life cycle cost for the usual proposal solution and the optimized one. Therefore, as part of the final solution, the best inspection and preventative maintenance time as well as spare part stock level, which enables to minimize the life cycle cost will be defined based on software simulation.

The Optimization of asset performance based on Dynamic Programming is a new approach applied to the traditional RAM analysis which predicts the asset performance based on information pre-defined. In the study proposed, in addition to predict asset performance, such as production efficiency, operational availability, reliability and critical equipments, the software apmOptimizer give the best solution in order to minimize the life cycle cost or maximize the operational availability automatically. The proposed solution is a powerful tool to be applied to offshore and onshore assets during design or operation phase in order to support decision about asset configuration, maintenance and spare part policy.

Key words: Asset Management, Inspection Optimization, Performance optimization, shedule maintenance optimization, LCC optimization.