Utilizing quality tools: A predictive maintenance perspective

The application of SPC and quality tools to a maintenance process in a local oil refinery is presented and shown that the results have great value especially when the facts and findings are linked to the cost of quality. It is found that utilization of SPC and quality tools is essential to answer questions like identifying factors causing maintenance problems, identifying most critical conditions that result in machine failures in future and relating problems with causes etc. These questions relate to establishing and implementing a predictive maintenance plan where the overall effect gained is improved maintenance quality at reduced cost and downtime.