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.

Reliability: Transform ODR-OPPM into a worthwhile initiative

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

ODR, which stands for operator-driven reliability, has recently morphed into a new arrangement of letters: OPPM.

Reliability: Avoid pump shaft failures

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

We welcome and thrive on questions from reliability engineers and try to answer some as best we can.

Reliability: Combine metallurgical, structural and physics know-how

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

We recently received an update on the capabilities of a modern professional entity that combines metallurgical, structural and practical applied physics know-how in a US Gulf Coast location

Reliability: Interpreting API Standard 618 for reciprocating compressors

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

A rotating machinery engineer working for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in India is often involved in selecting reciprocating compressors for hydrocarbon processing plants.

Advances in dry gas seal technology for compressors

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff; Carmody, C., AESSEAL plc

Compressor owner-operators now have unprecedented and solidly verifiable options.

HP Reliability: No fast path to maintenance brilliance

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Many years ago, the vice president of a major steam turbine manufacturing company was called to give a legal deposition in Canada.

HP Reliability: Consider high-pressure throttle bushings made from fluoropolymers

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In February 2004, I reported on how horizontal multistage pumps could be upgraded with a high-performance plastic produced by DuPont, Vespel CR-6100.

HP Reliability: Hire or train a reliability professional?

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The statistics on job seekers with college degrees and job seekers qualified to do the work for which they actually apply will differ.

HP Reliability: Reader feedback: How one manager views Pareto’s 80/20 rule

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In March, Hydrocarbon Processing obtained feedback on its February “Reliability” column.

Consider Zone 0 vertical pumps for slop pits

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Over the past several decades, a leading overseas HPI corporation experienced a disturbing number of explosions in its belowground hydrocarbon sump pits.