KICKOFF PRESENTATION
Reliability Reconsidered: History’s Lessons and Tomorrow’s Demands
Reliability is more than fixing failures—it’s about preventing them. Growing up in a household shaped by one of the pioneers of Reliability Engineering, I learned early that true Reliability requires a holistic approach: understanding past failures, uncovering systemic flaws, and recognizing that humans are often victims of poor systems rather than the cause of them.
Despite decades of technological advancement, the human element remains our greatest challenge. This interactive session will explore why core reliability principles from the 1970s are even more relevant today, and I candidly ask: Are we truly making progress in our reliability efforts within today’s complex operating environments?
Looking back, are the failures we faced decades ago the same that we face today, despite technology advancements? If so, why? To be successful in Reliability today, we need to be 'bold and a little bit outrageous'!
"We NEVER seem to have the time and budgets to do things right, but we ALWAYS seem to have the time and budget to do them again!" Let's defeat this paradigm together.
Bob Latino, Principal, Prelical Solutions
Prelical Solutions
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Insight Is Good. Action Is Better. Monitoring, maintenance, and repairs finally working together!
Plants today face a growing challenge. Skilled technicians are harder to find, experienced workers are retiring, and the cost of equipment failure continues to rise. At the same time, the information needed to make the best decisions about equipment is often scattered across predictive monitoring tools, maintenance routes, repair reports, spreadsheets, and asset records that rarely work together.
For decades, HECO has worked to close that gap. Beginning with equipment management systems in the 1980s and later with platforms like TracRat, combined with years of predictive maintenance and repair expertise, HECO has helped customers better understand and manage their equipment across its lifecycle.
Now that experience is taking the next step. Through years of development and investment with the Skyler platform, known today by many as an IoT monitoring solution, HECO is bringing equipment monitoring data, technician routes, repair history, and equipment management together in one connected platform. Instead of switching between multiple systems and logins, plants can finally see the full story of an asset in one place.
When everything connects, each signal about a machine becomes more valuable. Monitoring data gains context from maintenance observations, repair history informs future decisions, and equipment knowledge becomes easier to preserve and apply across teams.
Because insight alone is not enough. The real value comes when that insight turns into action. In this keynote, HECO will reveal how this connected approach allows plants not only to understand their equipment better, but to act on that knowledge by improving decisions, protecting critical assets, and managing the full lifecycle of their equipment with greater confidence.
Justin T. Hatfield, CRL, CMRP - President, HECO
HECO
Active Front End Technology for Modern VFD Systems
In this presentation we will cover both the benefits and concerns of this technology. Key themes would include harmonics, power quality, regeneration, motor protection, efficiency, and practical application considerations.
Jesus Vazquez, Application Engineer
Toshiba
Bearing Failure Analysis
You've heard a noise (clunking, whining or squealing) coming from your equipment or motor. Or you've taken a vibration reading and the results show that a component is due to fail. Or you experience a catastrophic failure and your machine grinds to a halt. Your maintenance techs tear it apart and find that the bearing failed. When that happens, what can be done to ensure that the same failure doesn't occur again? Fortunately, when a bearing fails, there is typically evidence that is left behind that allows you to determine WHY it failed.
By understanding the causes behind bearing failures, your repair or maintenance technicians can take steps that will increase the mean time to failure of bearings in your equipment. The instructor will present slides and failure samples that can be examined by the class attendees, so that they will be better prepared to recognize types and causes of bearing failures that they will encounter in the field, and how to prevent them from occurring again.
LeRoy Burcroff, Vice President of Sales Bearing Service
Bearing Maintenance and Installation
This course is targeted to maintenance personnel who install and service a variety of different styles of ball and roller bearings. Students will receive a basic understanding of each type of bearing, its common applications, and the basic nomenclature. In addition, proper techniques for the removal and installation of a bearing will be covered, along with a hands-on demonstration of various tools. Determining proper shaft and housing fits will be discussed, along with other options available when ordering a bearing, including seals and shields, internal clearance, and other options. Finally, proper lubrication of bearings will be covered, including correct fill rates and optimal greases for different applications.
LeRoy Burcroff, Vice President of Sales
Bearing Service
Built to Run… But Not Built to Last: The Hidden Gaps in Fluid Cleanliness & Filtration Design
Most systems are built to run—and on paper, they do exactly what they’re supposed to do. But being able to run and being built to last are two very different things. In this session, we’re going to take a look at the hidden gaps in fluid cleanliness and filtration design that quietly lead to wear, unexpected failures, and late-night calls nobody wants. You’ll see how a few small decisions—where a filter is placed, how it’s sized, and whether it truly fits the application—can be the difference between a system that constantly gives you problems… and one that runs clean, lasts longer, and simply does its job.
Sam Larger, President | Hydraulic & Lubrication Reliability
Larger Hydraulics
Electric Motor Maintenance, Field Service, and Repair
This presentation covers electric motor diagnostics, predictive maintenance practices, field troubleshooting, repair procedures, and reliability-centered service strategies used to support industrial motor systems in demanding operating environments.
Luke Timmer, Operations Manager
HECO
Every Board Is an Asset: Why That Failed Drive Doesn’t Belong in a Home Depot Bucket
Walk into any maintenance shop and you’ll find two things: a shelf of spare electronics waiting to save the day, and a bucket, bin, or back-corner pile of failed boards waiting to be thrown out. Most maintenance teams treat these very differently — but they shouldn’t. Both are part of the same finite pool of hardware standing between your plant and a costly line down event, especially as more of your equipment ages into obsolescence.
This session challenges how maintenance and reliability teams think about their electronic assets. We’ll cover the silent degradation mechanisms killing your shelf spares before you ever plug them in — dried-out capacitors, lost memory, tin whiskers, latent ESD damage — and what proper storage, handling, and rotation actually look like. Then we’ll make the case that the board you just pulled out of a failed machine is not garbage; it’s a repairable unit, a diagnostic specimen, and a potential donor for future builds. A single $4 component is often all that separates a “dead” board from a working one, and ten “dead” boards from the same line can frequently become three working units when handled correctly.
Finally, we’ll connect both halves to the bigger maintenance challenge of the next decade: what to do when the OEM walks away. As original manufacturers discontinue legacy drives, controllers, and boards, every shelf spare you’ve preserved and every failed board you’ve kept intact becomes part of your survival kit. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for auditing their current storage and handling practices, a checklist for protecting failed boards as recoverable assets, and a clearer view of how to extend the useful life of obsolete electronics by 10–15 years.
This is an educational session — not a sales pitch — built for maintenance technicians, reliability engineers, planners, and supervisors who want to stop throwing away value they didn’t know they had.
Michael Fitzpatrick, President
PSI Repair Services
Extending Bearing Life With Modern Greasing Practices
Precision lubrication practices are essential for optimizing asset performance and longevity. But even as entire industries embraced automation and predictive maintenance, many still rely on the same outdated, calendar-based lubrication strategies that date back thousands of years.
By listening and acting on ultrasonic feedback, maintenance and reliability teams allow the machine to determine when lubrication is required.
This presentation introduces ultrasound-guided precision lubrication using both handheld monitoring tools and condition-based automated lubrication systems, showing how each enables the correct amount of lubricant to be applied at the right time.
Together, these approaches help eliminate guesswork, reduce over- and under-greasing, and extend bearing life.
Tristan Rienstra, Marketing Director / Account Manager
SDT Ultrasound
Gearbox Component Qualification, Inspection, and Final Performance Validation Testing
This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the teardown and evaluation process, including incoming component inspections utilizing both visual examination and non-destructive testing (NDT) methods, as well as detailed failure analysis procedures. It will further address reassembly practices, critical inspection criteria, and the setting of axial endplay and preload tolerances. Additionally, the presentation will cover quality control protocols, leak testing procedures, final operational performance testing, and vibration analysis to ensure reliability, compliance, and overall system integrity.
Bill Thalman, Operations Manager
HECO-Warwood Armature
How to Choose the Right Electric Motor Before It Costs You
A practical presentation on helping maintenance, reliability, and plant teams ask the right questions before buying or replacing an electric motor. It covers why the motor is needed, how to avoid repeat failures, what specs matter for NEMA and Above-NEMA motors, and how the right upfront decisions can improve reliability, reduce downtime, and prevent costly mistakes.
Geoffrey Brewer, VP Sales & Marketing
HECO
Inside the Electric Motor: Construction, Components, and Quality Fundamentals
In this presentation we will show a disassembled motor, reviewing internal parts to a motor many engineers have not seen, and considerations for what makes a quality motor. This presentation provides an inside look at the key components of an electric motor and explains how design, materials, and manufacturing quality influence performance and reliability.
John O'Brien, Sr. Sales Advisor
Toshiba
Is your VFD in harmony with your facility?
Variable frequency drives are powerful tools for energy savings and motor control but they can come with a hidden cost: harmonics. Harmonic distortion introduced by VFDs can quietly wreak havoc on your facility’s electrical system, leading to overheating equipment, nuisance tripping, failed capacitor banks, and increased energy costs. In this presentation, we’ll break down what VFD harmonics are, how to recognize the warning signs in your facility, and the proper mitigation strategies to bring your system back into balance, before a small problem becomes a costly failure.
Matt Moss, Motor Controls Supervisor
HECO
Managing Critical Equipment: Lessons Learned from the Field
This session takes a practical, experience driven look at what actually makes equipment management programs succeed—or struggle—based on real world observations from operating plants. Using the Six Elements of a successful Equipment Management System as a foundation, the presentation moves beyond overviews and into field based case studies that highlight common gaps, hidden risks, and proven improvements.
Each element is explored through one or more real examples, including:
• How missing or inconsistent specifications lead to repeat failures
• How asset data and tag and survey efforts expose critical blind spots
• How unmanaged spare inventories drive unnecessary cost and downtime
• How failure findings from repairs can be used to materially improve reliability
Attendees will leave with practical insights they can apply immediately—regardless of plant size, industry, or maturity level—focused on making better, more consistent decisions for the equipment that matters most.
Bob Bolhuis, Business Development Manager
HECO
Motor Repair Hall of Shame: Smoke, Mirrors & Repairs
A humorous look at the shortcuts, gimmicks, and questionable practices that can turn electric motor repair into an expensive disaster. From unnecessary repairs to confusing technical jargon and “budget” materials disguised as quality, we’ll expose how cutting corners impacts reliability and long-term cost. Most importantly, we’ll show how proper repair practices focused on quality, reliability, and total cost of ownership deliver better performance and greater value.
Mark Hatfield, CEO Emeritus
HECO
Motor Starting & Control Basics: Choosing the Right Starting Method
This presentation explains the practical differences between across-the-line starters, soft starters, and variable frequency drives, with a focus on selecting the right solution based on the application. It covers key considerations such as power source strength, load requirements, process needs, mechanical impact, and real-world examples including pumps, fans, conveyors, and generator-fed systems.
Chuck Spencer, Benshaw & Luke Neitzke, MercerRPM
Practicing What Is True – How Reliability Builds Capacity, Stability, and Competitive Advantage
In an era defined by constant innovation, organizations often overlook a fundamental truth: sustainable performance is not built by chasing what is new, but by consistently practicing what is proven. This presentation reframes reliability as a strategic enabler of growth, resilience, and organizational capacity — not simply a maintenance initiative. Through the lens of leadership, culture, and operational discipline, we will explore how organizations create competitive advantage by reducing reactive behaviors and reinforcing the principles that consistently drive performance. Attendees will leave with a renewed perspective on reliability as a foundational business capability and a defining characteristic of world-class organizations.
Jason Spettel, Director of Reliability
HECO PSG
Precision Laser Belt Alignment: What You Need to Know
Identifying and Correcting Belt Mis-Alignment & Digi-Belt Tensioning.
Machinery belt alignment is critical for equipment reliability, yet maintaining precision across diverse machine configurations remains a constant challenge for maintenance teams. Misalignment drives premature component failure, increases energy consumption, and causes costly unplanned downtime. This live, interactive training session provides actionable solutions to eliminate the guesswork from belt maintenance.
Led by industry expert Mike Olszewski, this presentation delivers a comprehensive, step-by-step breakdown of laser belt alignment and tensioning methodologies. Attendees will experience live examples using advanced laser tool systems and practical field techniques.
Key Learning Modules
• Alignment Fundamentals: Core mechanics of belts, pulleys, and complex machine configurations.
• The B.A.T. XF Procedure: Precision alignment techniques optimized specifically for V-belts.
• The B.A.T. Delta Procedure: Specialized workflows for synchronous and timing belt drives.
• Digi-Belt Tensioning: Advanced methods to ensure exact, repeatable belt tension.
• Installation Best Practices: Proper motor base setup to prevent premature motor base failure and fatigue.
• Real-World Application: Field-tested strategies for challenging setups and proven case histories.
The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A framework to solve your specific belt alignment challenges.
Mike Olszewski (“The BAT MAN”)
Reliability Concepts
Proven Performance: Dynamatic Eddy Current Drives in Industrial Applications
This presentation highlights how Dynamatic Eddy Current Drives provide reliable variable speed control for a wide range of industrial applications. Attendees will learn about the technology, operational benefits, and common use cases in demanding environments. Tim Foley will demonstrate how these systems provide a reliable solution for harsh industrial applications.
Tim Foley, Key Account Manager
Dynamatic
Reliability ROI: What’s the cost?
Implementing reliability within your plant is a difficult process. Not only does it require technology, expertise, and time, it takes investment. One of the major challenges maintenance and reliability leaders face today is justifying a significant budget to maintain equipment. Is it worth the investment?
In this session, we will walk through actual costs of critical failures and how the lack of a reliability program can lead to exponentially greater costs. We will explore the ways you can prevent catastrophic failures leading to expensive downtimes and repairs. Understanding the actual cost of a critical failure is the first step in realizing the operational value of a well-built reliability program. Connecting the relationship between equipment reliability, uptime, operations, and ultimately production demonstrates a greater picture of the health of your company and its goals!
Luke Clark, Senior Program Manager, Skyler
HECO
Root Cause Analysis vs. Shallow Cause Analysis: What’s the Difference?
Every failure begins long before the moment it explodes into view. Many call it “RCA,” but too often they’re only circling the obvious. This session rewinds the story—step by step, decision by decision— to reveal how good people get pulled into making bad decisions. They’re not villains. They’re not incompetent. It’s just human beings navigating organizational pressures, distractions, and imperfect systems.
This is Human Reliability. The mortar between every technical brick. The difference between shallow answers and real understanding.
An RCA of an unfortunate MRI event will be used, and every attendee will never forget the learning from this story! Get ready to rethink RCA. Get ready to rethink the influence of poor management systems on everyday decision-making.
Bob Latino, Principal
Prelical Solutions
Skyler: The AI-Powered Ecosystem Redefining Industrial Reliability
Modern industrial reliability demands more than scheduled maintenance — it requires continuous visibility, early failure detection, and the expertise to act on data before failures occur. This session walks through how Skyler delivers exactly that through its interconnected platform with three main modules: IoT condition monitoring, Route-based field inspections, and the Equipment Management System — operating as a single, unified reliability ecosystem.
Wireless sensors continuously capture real-time vibration data — and for intermittent equipment, an automated trigger activates the moment a machine powers on. Route empowers field technicians with structured inspection and diagnosis workflows in the same environment. EMS builds toward component histories, repair records, and failure pattern intelligence — together replacing the fragmented systems that plague most industrial operations with one coherent picture of asset health.
From cement plants to water utilities, power generation to heavy manufacturing — because detecting a problem is only half the equation. Through our MRO partner model, we close the loop: turning alerts into work orders, diagnoses into repairs, and data into measurable uptime.
Gregorio Hadad, General Manager
Skyler
Why Pumps Fail (and How to Prevent It)
This presentation breaks down the most common causes of pump failure in real-world operations, including cavitation, dry running, mechanical seal failure, bearing failure, and misalignment or pipe strain. We’ll walk through what drives these failures, what they look like in the field, and why they keep repeating.
We’ll go deeper on a real case study of mechanical seal failure to show how small issues turn into costly downtime when they’re missed early.
We’ll also cover how operating away from Best Efficiency Point (BEP) impacts pump reliability and accelerates wear across multiple components.
We’ll close with practical early warning signs your team can spot before failure happens, along with straightforward prevention strategies that improve reliability without adding unnecessary complexity.
Chuck Fischer, Pump Application Engineer
HECO Kentucky Service Center