The Road to Reliability – The Role of Culture in the Transformation
Speaker: prof. Mladen Stoianov
In this session, Mladen will explore the journey of transforming an unreliable plant into a reliable one, focusing on identifying and eliminating bad actors, and most importantly—building a reliability-centered culture. Drawing from decades of hands-on experience, he will compare two very different plants and their cultural approaches to reliability. The talk will challenge attendees to ask:
- Do people understand what reliability truly means?
- Do they believe in it?
- How do we make them believe?
Through real-life stories and practical insights, Mladen will illustrate how belief, mindset, and organizational culture are often the most powerful tools on the road to reliability
Almagest Biorefinery – Maintenance & Monitoring Highlights
Speaker: Svetoslav Pavlov
- Plant: Near Sofia, Bulgaria; produces 35M L ethanol & 25K t DDGS/year.
- Key Issue: DDGS dryer bearing failure detected (BPFO 1.554 Hz) → replaced Aug 2024.
- Lubrication: Wrong grease (Mobilux EP2) caused high friction; switching to Mobil Unirex N3 cut vibration by 16 dBµV.
- Outcome: Early detection, correct lubrication, and proactive maintenance ensure reliable, efficient operation.
Reliability-Driven Maintenance Strategies for Aluminium Foil Mills
Speaker: Tsvetomira Dimitrova
Practical Approaches to Monitoring, Preventive Actions, and Mechanical Improvements.
The Power of Our Experts: Real Impact in Real Industry
Speaker: Viktor Nedkov
How expert collaboration and smart lubrication strategies have transformed manufacturing reliability at Integrated Microelectronics Bulgaria Ltd.
MaintLAB: Research and Industry Collaboration in AI-Driven Predictive Maintenance
Speaker: Davor Kolar
The Maintenance Laboratory (MaintLAB) at the University of Zagreb advances predictive maintenance through AI, IoT, and edge computing. In collaboration with industry partners such as SDT International (now part of the iCare Group), Hexagon EAM etc., we develop and validate solutions that transform sensor data into actionable insights. Projects like smartFactory, Poirot-IoT, and COST CA23155 showcase how research and collaboration drive reliable, efficient, and future-ready maintenance strategies