Building Reliability in Pulp and Paper Mills: A Panel Discussion on Projects, Mechanical Integrity, and RCM

Description:

Co-sponsored by the Project Management/Project Engineering Committee and the Young Professionals Division, this four-part series delivers a practical, integrated approach to improving safety, reliability, and performance in pulp and paper mills. The sessions progress from effective capital project execution, to maintaining mechanical integrity of fixed equipment, to applying Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) principles, and conclude with a panel discussion that connects these disciplines into a unified reliability program. Together, the series equips attendees with actionable strategies to enhance asset availability, mitigate risk, and optimize lifecycle costs. This panel brings together three complementary perspectives critical to mill reliability and performance. Panelists Christopher Johns, Margaret Gorog, and Jay Shellogg will summarize and expand on the key themes from their earlier presentations, connecting capital project execution, mechanical integrity, and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM). Attendees will leave with practical tactics for integrating these disciplines into a cohesive reliability program that improves safety, availability, and lifecycle cost across pulp and paper operations.

Keywords:

Engineering; Capital Projects; Estimating; Maintenance; Construction; Reliability-Centered Maintenance; Failure Patterns; P–F Interval; On-Condition Tasks; Protective Devices; Fixed Equipment; Corrosion; Materials Selection; Inspection; Weld Repair; Fitness-For-Service

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon satisfactory completion of this seminar, participants should be able to:

• Describe the importance of good project management for the execution of capital projects (FEL, risk, safety, tracking).
• Explain how operating context translates into failure modes, effects, and consequence categories to select evidence-based tasks.
• Discuss equipment failures in terms of age-related versus random occurrence and apply P–F interval concepts to CBM.
• Determine appropriate failure-finding intervals for hidden protective devices using availability-based calculations.

Moderator: Elisha Ewing

Elisha is a recent graduate from Western Michigan University's Paper Engineering program. She is a process engineer at Smurfit Westrock's Mahrt Mill in Cottonton, AL and is currently working in the Chemical Recovery department. Outside of her mill life, she enjoys reading, meeting new friends, and making many trips back to Michigan to visit friends and family. Before you ask - no, she does not miss the cold, but she does miss the snow at Christmastime!

Speaker:   Christopher Johns

Christopher Johns, PE, P.Eng. has over 20 years of experience in process design, simulation, data analysis, piping design, and project management. Currently he is Director of Engineering at MEGI Engineering Inc. in Portland, OR where he is responsible for a team of multi-disciplinary engineers and designs. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University. Beyond the professional realm Christopher plays oboe in various community bands and orchestras and spending time outdoors.

Speaker:     Margaret Gorog  

Originally from the Vancouver area in Canada, Margaret received a Bachelor of Applied Science in metallurgical engineering from the University of British Columbia. She is now with Houghton Cascade Holdings, LLC and is based in Lynden, WA. She has worked in the pulp and paper industry for 35 years in corrosion control, materials selection, inspection, and failure analysis. Margaret is very active in TAPPI and advanced through all the positions in the Corrosion & Materials Committee and Engineering Division. She is a TAPPI Fellow and is now the TIP Coordinator for the Plant Engineering and Project Management Committee. She is a coach for Girls on the Run, a national program that provides an opportunity for 3^rd to 5^th grade girls to complete a 5k run.

Speaker:  Jay Shellogg    

Jay Shellogg is a Civil Engineer with 4 years consulting engineering experience and 16 years of experience at a large pulp & paper mill.  His work for the first 5 years in pulp & paper industry was as a Sr. Environmental Engineer and the last 11 years spent in maintenance as a Sr. Maintenance Engineer, then as Reliability Maintenance Superintended, and holding various other Maintenance Superintended roles.  In late 2005, Jay was tasked with the project lead for budgeting and implementation of a reliability solution at his mill.  Since 2015, Jay as a member of the Aladon Network and RCM2™ & RCM3™ Practitioner leads a team of reliability professionals who seek to foster a better understanding of what true reliability look likes.  Jayshellogg@strategicmaint.com, www.strategicmaint.com.