I'd like the control system experts on the board to consider a hypothetical situation, and describe their next few steps in analyzing and fixing the problem.
<b>The Situation:</b>
You've been experiencing periodic failures of equipment that is important in the reliable and successful completion of your process/product. You've traced the failures down to 3 or 4 components that seem to be failing on the equipment on a pretty regular basis.
Historical analysis of the equipment doesn't show any significant excursions outside of normal operating parameters. Trending analysis on the input and output points isn't showing any signs of spikes or other that precede the failures. You've adjusted your control schemes ensure all parameters are within their normal tolerances, but you can't run the system productively at those levels. You've tested every piece of copper wire and fiber that connects any system remotely involved in the operation of this equipment. You've replaced power supplies, frequency converters, anything that could be interfering with your signals. You've involved the equipment vendor in these discussions as well, and they are at a loss too, as they can't replicate your component failures in their lab under your process conditions.
Management is breathing down your neck, these component failures that can't be attributed to anything you can detect, observe, or theorize on your own are costing your company millions in lost product and busted equipment each month it goes on.
Besides quitting your job and becoming the actor who plays Neo, what's your next set of steps? What else could be going on? How do you resolve this issue? Who else do you involve? There are no wrong answers, only a description of how you would analyze this insane problem using every bit of engineering skill and knowledge you've gleaned from years of breaking and fixing things.
<i>I intend to use this responses in this thread to promote discussion in this and other online forums, so don't post if you don't want to be a part. If you don't want to be attributed, please post anonymously, but also please state your job title.</i>
Thanks Everyone!!
<b>The Situation:</b>
You've been experiencing periodic failures of equipment that is important in the reliable and successful completion of your process/product. You've traced the failures down to 3 or 4 components that seem to be failing on the equipment on a pretty regular basis.
Historical analysis of the equipment doesn't show any significant excursions outside of normal operating parameters. Trending analysis on the input and output points isn't showing any signs of spikes or other that precede the failures. You've adjusted your control schemes ensure all parameters are within their normal tolerances, but you can't run the system productively at those levels. You've tested every piece of copper wire and fiber that connects any system remotely involved in the operation of this equipment. You've replaced power supplies, frequency converters, anything that could be interfering with your signals. You've involved the equipment vendor in these discussions as well, and they are at a loss too, as they can't replicate your component failures in their lab under your process conditions.
Management is breathing down your neck, these component failures that can't be attributed to anything you can detect, observe, or theorize on your own are costing your company millions in lost product and busted equipment each month it goes on.
Besides quitting your job and becoming the actor who plays Neo, what's your next set of steps? What else could be going on? How do you resolve this issue? Who else do you involve? There are no wrong answers, only a description of how you would analyze this insane problem using every bit of engineering skill and knowledge you've gleaned from years of breaking and fixing things.
<i>I intend to use this responses in this thread to promote discussion in this and other online forums, so don't post if you don't want to be a part. If you don't want to be attributed, please post anonymously, but also please state your job title.</i>
Thanks Everyone!!