RTI Biologics Achieves 98.7 Percent Equipment Performance Rating

RTI Biologics Inc. (RTI) /quotes/zigman/109594/quotes/nls/rtix RTIX -0.02% , a leading provider of orthopedic and other biologic implants, was recognized in the 2011 fourth edition of Evolution magazine for achieving a 98.7 percent equipment performance rating for its facilities and processing equipment. Evolution magazine is published by SKF Group, a global company which provides condition monitoring to RTI.

In 2007, the RTI facilities team began transitioning to a condition-based maintenance program in the company's 65,000 sq. ft. processing facility. The program combines skilled and trained personnel, specific predictive maintenance tools and equipment, and analysis of data such as vibration analysis, oil quality, thermal and infrared readings from the facility equipment. Using this data, the facilities team can predict when equipment failure might occur and therefore, equipment can be repaired at convenient times that will minimize work flow disruptions. Since the implementation of the program, the equipment performance rating for RTI went from 80 percent to 98.7 percent over four years, placing RTI among the top echelons of facilities in the U.S.

In 2010, RTI was the first U.S.-based company to implement an advanced vibration-detection technology to monitor the health of its machinery. RTI was selected for the initial implementation honor by SKF, developer of the technology, based on the work the company had already been doing to move to a condition-based maintenance program. The SKF machinery health reporting system allows the RTI facilities team to track machinery performance issues more accurately, trend patterns farther in advance and sustain high machinery performance levels.

"The investment of time and resources into condition-based maintenance has been very important to RTI," said Chuck Ratliff, RTI director of facilities. "Because of the intricacy of our processes and the importance of protecting donor tissue it is critical that our equipment be reliable and accurate."

"We are very proud of our facilities team for achieving such high standards in equipment maintenance," said Thomas F. Rose, RTI executive vice president and chief operations officer. "Our facility is unlike most others, in that our technicians are preparing human donated tissue for transplantation for recipients around the country. Most companies cannot afford the disruption in work flow that equipment failures bring, but when your company is the crucial step between tissue donation and transplantation, you have additional responsibility for ensuring your equipment is always in top condition."