Bloch, Heinz P.
Heinz P. Bloch resides in Montgomery, Texas. He retired as Exxon Chemical’s Regional Machinery Specialist for the U.S. and has authored or co-written more than 780 publications, among them 23 comprehensive books on practical machinery management, failure analysis, failure avoidance, compressors, steam turbines, pumps, oil mist lubrication and optimized lubrication for industry. Mr. Bloch holds BS and MS degrees (cum laude) in mechanical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering (NCE). He is one of 10 inaugural inductees into NCE’s Hall of Fame, which honors its most distinguished alumni.
HP Reliability: Consider machine condition inspection systems
Your plant is probably depending on a dedicated group of reliability professionals to first collect and then analyze machinery vibration and other equipment condition data. You undoubte..
HP Reliability: Good procedures have huge paybacks
A few years ago, a major petrochemical company modified the piping leading from their steam generator to a mechanical drive turbine inlet flange. They then disconnected the piping from ..
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Flexure pivot bearings (Fig. 1) are increasingly found in modern machinery. Modern machining methods make it possible to produce these bearings integral with the bearing shell, which simplifies assemb..
HP Reliability: Preliminaries to a successful reliability strategy
Not long ago, a dedicated team of reliability professionals met to discuss what it takes to become a "best practices" or "best-of-class" company. In summary, the team considered that top quartile comp..
World-class maintenance – European style
At the conclusion of a 1983 maintenance effectiveness audit at a petrochemical plant in Cologne, Germany, the plant manager asked for a "one-second summary" of how we viewed his facility. Our one-word..
HP Reliability: Avoiding electrical damage to bearings
Major machinery often suffers bearing damage due to shaft currents. Common sources of shaft currents are electromagnetic, static charge buildup and electrical equipment related. Such damage can appear..
HP Reliability: Consider retrofit-free bearing upgrades for your pumps
Next to mechanical seals, rolling element bearings are the components that fail most frequently in centrifugal pumps. There are many reasons for these failures. Previous columns have highlighted remed..
HP Reliability: Consider third-party inspection
The HPI, as a provider of quality services and products, would like to receive guaranteed quality from its suppliers. Unfortunately, having set high standards for ourselves does not guarantee that oth..
HP Reliability: Pursue a comprehensive infrared condition monitoring strategy
The best reliability-based condition monitoring programs begin small and expand as needed to cover the plant thoroughly. A thermography program normally begins with the electrical system. This applica..
HP Reliability: Consider reliability-focused maintenance
Reliability professionals attending one of HP's recent International Process Plant Reliability Conferences were briefed on the improvement approach taken by a large U.S. organization. This forward-loo..
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