How can a plant identify repeat equipment failures?
Start with consistent asset identification and a review of recurring symptoms, work orders and operating interruptions.
What to consider
Search work history for the same asset or function over a defined period. Compare descriptions, failure symptoms, dates and corrective actions, then validate the pattern with technicians and operators. Multiple work orders can describe one event, and similar symptoms do not automatically prove the same cause.
Practical steps
- Select critical assets or recurring production losses for an initial review.
- Check asset IDs and group related work orders into distinct events.
- Discuss what failed, what was done and whether the underlying condition was addressed.
- Prioritize significant patterns for the site’s investigation process and assign an owner.
A practical example
A plant replaces the same pump bearing three times in six months. Searching by the pump's asset identifier reveals the work orders, but their descriptions vary. The team checks the actual failed components, operating conditions and evidence before deciding whether these are related events. It assigns an investigation owner and tracks corrective action. Repeated bearing replacements alone do not prove that all failures had the same cause.
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