Power to the Operator?

Reliability centered maintenance leverages machine operator's intimate knowledge of their equipment to assist with maintenance procedures and monitor for failure. At the same time, operators that change equipment settings without documenting the change can cause nightmares when troubleshooting production problems, resulting in out-of-spec products. Can we empower machine operators and maintain a knowledgebase of equipment settings? Does it require increased automation and data collection, limiting access to critical parameters, or returning maintenance and control functions from operator to maintenance and engineering?

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