Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis: Using the Right Tool Speeds Reliability Improvement
Tommy J. Martin (Texaco Inc. Bellaire, Texas)

Prepared for Presentation at
The Eighth International Process Plant Reliability Conference and Exhibition
Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Hobby Airport Houston
October 24-28, 1999

Abstract:

In today's business environment, improving reliability can mean the difference between an asset that stays part of your business portfolio or one that is closed or sold. Executive management and the shareholders love the results of a successful reliability process because for little or no capital expenditure the business return on assets can be significantly improved.

One key tool in improving reliability is failure analysis. Proper application of failure analysis will bring to light the issues of people, process, or machines that are holding business performance back. Simple failure analysis is all that is needed for the mechanic to identify that a parts vendor has started supplying an inferior part.

On the other hand a centrifugal pump that costs $20,000 to rebuild and has a Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) of three years would require a more extensive tool to investigate to identify why it has the lowest MTBF in a facility that averages nine years MTBF. But, only $40,000 would be saved in nine years by improving the MTBF of this spared equipment from three years to nine years. A true root cause failure analysis requiring six months to complete and several full-time participants would not be practical.

For a critical compressor on the highest margin unit in a refinery, understanding why it failed can make or break the future profitability of the asset. Therefore a six-month $200,000 root cause failure analysis can be justified. This paper will describe the three level approach that Texaco takes at removing the defects from its business environment.