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Bloch, Heinz P.

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff, Montgomery, Texas

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: Ten sure steps to substandard reliability performance

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Equipment reliability can be enhanced or jeopardized by many different actions, inactions, commissions and omissions. Reliability may be a hollow term to many. Still, first and foremost, a reliable plant is a safe plant.

HP Reliability: Trends from the 2015 AFPM Maintenance and Reliability Conference

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Over the decades, there have been good and not-so-good trends presented at this event, and the 2015 maintenance and reliability conference was no exception.

HP Reliability: Update on steam turbine overspeed testing

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

An engineer working for a world-scale oil refinery in Asia-Pacific (AP) asked several questions on steam turbines: “I would like to know whether overspeed testing of steam turbines is recommended..

HP Reliability: Reassessing and updating electric motor bearing lubrication

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Over the past 25 years, this column has often dealt with electric motor lubrication. As listed in the recommended reading list, this subject is often asked and, of course, there are updates to the rec..

HP Reliability: The true cost of poor quality

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Knoxville, Tennessee-based System Improvements, Inc., has been in the forefront of teaching structured root-cause analysis throughout the world. System Improvements, Inc. has used its proprietary soft..

HP Reliability: Consider oil-resistant cable terminations to increase electric motor reliability

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Most engineers are familiar with adhesive-coated insulating tape used by electricians in the field and maintenance shop. If we use this tape in the engine compartment of an automobile, it will soon be..

HP Reliability: Does Pareto’s 80/20 rule apply to reliability engineers?

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In the 1970s, an oil refinery discovered that 7% of its 3,200 process pumps experienced a disproportionate share of the facility’s yearly pump outage events. Slightly over 60% of the money spent ..

Avoid counterproductive project management practices

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

For many years, reliability-focused engineers have observed flawed procurement processes for mechanical equipment. Many requirements are supposedly aimed at the lowest possible lifecycle cost; however..

HP Reliability: Plan now to deal with stressed equipment later

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

The US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) “Today in Energy” brief evaluated how US refineries are processing record amounts of crude oil (Fig. 1), with Midwest and Gulf Co..

HP Reliability: Trends from Texas A&M’s 43rd Turbomachinery and 30th Pump Symposia

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Many HP readers are very familiar with the Texas A&M Turbomachinery (TAMU Turbo) and Pump Symposia events. The Houston-based 2014 forum, held Sept. 21–25, set new records in both attendance and n..