March 2017 Edition

Recent Headlines:

Defense:

Marine Aviation Going After Small Maintenance Issues that Create Big Readiness Problems – USNI News

The Marine Corps is tackling the little problems that combine to create major burdens on the aviation maintenance community, the deputy commandant for aviation told reporters today.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Reliability Pulled Down by Early Versions: U.S. Official – Fox Business

The overall reliability of Lockheed Martin Corp’s (LMT) F-35 fighter jets is being pulled down by initial versions of the aircraft which do not perform as well as more recently delivered jets, the Pentagon’s head of the F-35 program said on Tuesday.

F-35A, Maintainers Proving Reliable at Red Flag – Hill Air Force Base

When it comes to the F-35A, much is made of the edge its fifth-generation technology gives pilots, but America’s newest fighter aircraft is also proving capable in the hands of maintainers.

3-D Printing Targets Readiness & Reliability for Navy – The Lexington Park Leader

Readiness and reliability are the Navy’s twin goals for additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing. At a Patuxent Partnership briefing this month almost 100 TPP members, including local contractors, heard how Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), as part of a Navy-wide effort, is meeting the challenge.

Automotive:

Threadlocker Enhances Fastener Reliability for Automotive Engines – Assembly

Cars and guns may be the heart of nearly every action-adventure movie, but Hollywood filmmakers aren’t the only ones with a passion for these two things. The Saleen Automotive Co. and HT Holsters Ltd., respectively, also have a keen interest in them.

Study: Technology Trouble Dents Car and Truck Reliability – Yahoo!

Technology glitches including Bluetooth phone pairing and misunderstood voice commands put a dent in car and truck reliability scores in a major survey of automobile owners.

Gadgets Gulp Power, Dent Auto Reliability – Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

Technology glitches including Bluetooth phone pairing and misunderstood voice commands put a dent in car and truck reliability scores in a major survey of automobile owners.

10 Top Picks of 2017: Best Cars of the Year – Consumer Reports

The best new cars of 2017 are outstanding all-around performers—shown to be reliable, safe, and satisfying. That means they have scored high in our stringent track tests and extensive owner surveys. They have won our admiration, and we recommend them with confidence.

J.D. Power 2017 Dependability Ratings & Awards – J.D. Power

The Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) examines issues reported by original owners of 3-year-old vehicles. This study measures car reliability by analyzing problems experienced over the past 12 months of ownership in such areas as: features and controls; engine and transmission;entertainment and navigation; heating and cooling; the overall driving experience, and more.

These are the 18 Most Reliable Used Cars of 2017 – Business Insider

When it comes to buying a used car, reliability is paramount. Fortunately for car buyers, J.D. Power released its 28th annual Vehicle Dependability Study this week. The study examines the reliability of 2014 model-year cars over the past 12 months – giving car buyers a glimpse at the type of problems these three-year-old cars are likely to experience.

Energy:

Exacter Shares Proprietary Reliability Data & Analytics at DistribuTech 2017 – Penn Energy

Over the last three years, Exacter’s Grid Reliability Analytics have helped reduce equipment-related power outages by 15-40% for a number of utilities.

ABB Microgrid to Bring Clean Energy and Power Reliability to Alaska Community – Renewable Energy World

ABB will provide an innovative microgrid, combining battery and flywheel based storage technologies, designed to test scalability and improve power stability for around 300,000 people in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Coast Guard Proposes Solar LED Upgrade to Cape Lookout Light – Coast Guard News

The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting public opinion until May 16, 2017 on a proposed solar-powered LED optic in Cape Lookout Lighthouse at Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

New Software to Improve Reliability of Europe’s Electricity Networks – European Commission

A consortium of software firms, power network operators and universities from across Europe has developed software aimed at ensuring a steady electricity supply throughout the continent.

Rolling Stock:

Big Data Challenge as Train Company Moves to Predictive Maintenance – Maintenance Technology

There’s an interesting blog series on Trenitalia, a state-owned Italian train company, via ARC’s Industrie 4.0 website that depicts a transition from condition monitoring to a more predictive approach. The company reveals its real-time dashboards, but also discusses their transition to a component-based maintenance approach, which has many parallels to the factory or field space.

Space/Aviation:

Additive Manufacturing (AM) Activities & Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) at GSFC – NASA

JAXA Delegation Visit.

Medical/Health:

The Cooperative High Reliability Organization: Approaching a Zero-Defect Culture – PSQH

How the U.S. Air Force’s new reliability model focusing on task saturation improved antibiotic stewardship and overall value-based care quickly and cost-effectively.

Industrial:

Manufacturing Process Reliability – SMRP

In an industrial environment, maintenance is generally considered one of the most important activities utilized for improving reliability. Because of this, it’s also the first activity to be blamed for a lacking or poor performance. If production goals are not met, or if there are quality, safety or environmental issues, maintenance is often seen as the guilty party.

Maintain the Simplicity of Maintenance Work Processes – Hydrocarbon Processing

In the processing industries, companies rely on their physical assets to guarantee that they are always producing at the same capacity, or preferably higher, than they began. To achieve these high levels of production, assets must be readily available.

Electronics:

Intelligent Converters Improve Power Reliability for Marine Electronics – Marine Electronics & Communications

Advances in digital signal processing have led to more flexible power converters that can be programmed to meet the precise requirements of marine electronics. Power converters such as inverters, battery chargers and power supplies are often installed to convert available direct or alternating current to the appropriate power outputs required.

Commercial:

Amazon Cloud Storage Failure Causes Widespread Disruption – ABC News

Usually people don’t notice the “cloud” – unless, that is, it turns into a massive storm. Which was the case Tuesday when Amazon’s huge cloud-computing service suffered a major outage.

Software:

A Retrospective View of the Laws of Software Engineering – SQSPCDN

This short paper summarizes these laws and makes observations about the data and facts that underlie them. The laws discussed in this paper are in alphabetical order.

Human Factors:

Human Reliability Analysis for Digitized Nuclear Power Plants: Case Study on the LingAo II Nuclear Power Plant – ScienceDirect

The main control room (MCR) in advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs) has changed from analog to digital control system (DCS).

Amazon Blames Human Error for Cloud-service Disruption – CNBC

Amazon blamed human error for the disruption in its cloud services that resulted in widespread glitches for its clients from news sites to government services on Tuesday.

Human Factors Can Cause a Disaster—or Prevent One – Valve Magazine

Process industry plants are complex and potentially dangerous environments, where the consequences of something going wrong can be catastrophic.

A Human Factors Approach for Identifying Latent Failures in Healthcare Settings – ERAU

The purpose of the current research was to assess the utility of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), a tool that has historically been used reactively to look at accidents and incidents, for classifying observational data from various healthcare venues.

February 2017 Newsletter: Researchers Target Human Factors in Cybersecurity – SJSU

As hackers attempt to invade network systems via the Internet – to either damage them or steal proprietary information – cybersecurity has become among the highest priorities for governments, corporations and many other types of organizations.

Sensors:

Reliability of Sensor Nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks of Cyber Physical Systems – ScienceDirect

Sensors are a crucial component of any intelligent control system. Wireless sensor networks are one of the most rapidly developing information technologies and promise to have a variety of applications in Next Generation Networks, Internet of Things and for mission critical and safety relevant applications.

Sensor Issue Halts Red Bulls Running in Barcelona – The Checkered Flag

The Australian had completed just four laps in his new for 2017 machine, before coming to a halt on the approach to Turn 4. A red flag was brought out whilst the Red Bull was removed from track.

Research:

Artificial Intelligence Could Increase Speed and Reliability of Brain Research – Imperial College London

Neuroscientists at Imperial have highlighted the benefits of using machine learning techniques in real-time brain imaging studies.