Long term specialist commitment to computerised asset and works management systems have enabled Rapier to develop close working relationships with clients from across all industries. With over a decade of consistently delivering cost effective solutions, Rapier has the enviable reputation as a reliable partner in the provision of asset and work related software. In a market place now saturated with short term package solutions, Rapier provides the strategic alternative - a 'future-proof information resource.

Since Perkins Engines Company Limited was founded in 1932, more than 15 million Perkins Engines have been produced. Some 300,000 engines are produced each year. Perkins Engines power more than 3,000 different applications from 1,000 manufacturers in every sector where diesel or gas power is used. Their new engines are designed to meet the toughest emissions legislation and to reduce noise as part of their drive to improve the environment where Perkins products are used.

The Peterborough site is home to Perkins Shibaura making the 100 and 400 series engines and Product Supply manufacturing the 3.152, 4.41 as well as the 700, 900 and 1000 series. Engines manufactured at Peterborough span 4 to 154 kW.

The Rapier Computer Maintenance Management System was introduced to help create teams of highly trained people capable of supporting and improving their equipment throughout its total service life. Key performance indicators where established to support a continuous
improvement initiative, which aims to maximise equipment efficiency. The Rapier system encourages production and maintenance departments to work in harmony as a team with the goal of increasing machine reliability.
The introduction of Rapier to Perkins Engines gave the maintenance the information to identify the bottleneck machines on the production lines.
This was due to the following steps:
• Real time information on breakdowns of the equipment (on a running clock)
• Allocating maintenance to specific jobs
• Using fault codes, cause codes and a comments field before signing off the job
• Planning maintenance work load
•  Setting shift patterns.
All Perkins machinery has a unique asset number entered on a central asset register on the Rapier system, which enables maintenance to log faults through breakdown tickets to each asset.
Because the faults are assigned to the asset Rapier can then run reports as follows:
•  Examine asset record
• Examine   mean   time   between   repeat breakdowns
•  Only examine breakdowns during shift patterns
• Examine work completed
Rapier has enabled Perkins to cost down-time to each individual asset by associating parts used on each breakdown and planning maintenance jobs. The time spent on the job by the maintenance men can also be calculated by setting up a hourly rate of the maintenance men using the pay bands within the Rapier system, thus giving a complete picture of how much time, parts and man hours is spent on each individual asset through maintenance costs.
Further information can be obtained from
Rapier i Limited 97 Judd Street London WC1H 9JG.
Tel: 020 7383 4007 Fax: 020 7383 5068 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.myrapier.com