Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1080534
GET TO KNOW Name: Ricardo Peruchi Age: 39 Job Title: Reliability Manager Company: Gerdau Location: Jacksonville, Florida Length of Service: 14 years Lubrication Remains a Priority for Gerdau's Peruchi Lubrication has been a priority for Ricardo Peruchi since 2004 when he began studying why scrap-processing equipment was failing prematurely. Peruchi discovered the main reasons for these failures were basic things like lubrication. For the past 14 years, he has worked for Gerdau, starting as a management associate at a scrapyard in Brazil. After serving as a reliability engineer for the company's steel mill in Rio de Janeiro, Peruchi was transferred internationally to another mill in Petersburg, Virginia. In 2013, he moved to the Gerdau steel mill in Jacksonville, Florida, where he now serves as reliability manager, leading a team of reliability technicians, maintenance planners, fleet managers and mechanics. Q: What types of training have you taken to get to your current position? A: I have had both leadership and technical training. My leadership and management training were focused on teamwork, how to approach people, how to deal with and encourage teams, time management and Six Sigma. My technical training covered lubrication, oil analysis, vibra- tion ana lysis, ultrasound, infrared inspections, hydrau- lics and transformers. Q: What professional certi- fications have you attained? A: I have Level I Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT I), Certified Reliability Leader (CRL), Category I Vibration Analysis, Level I Ultrasound and Six Sigma certifications. Q: What's a normal work day like for you? A: I would be managing the pla nning a nd scheduling process with our maintenance planners, as well as the predic- tive maintenance program with our predictive technicians and reliability engineer. I also support analysis and manage the mobile equipment fleet. Q: What is the amount and range of equipment that you help service through lubrica- tion/oil analysis tasks? A: We service all the rotating equ ipment for bot h t he melt shop and rolling mill areas along with the critical hydraulic systems, lubrication systems and transformers in the plant. For lubrication based on time, we have more than 300 pieces of equip- ment, which have more than 20 lubrication points in some cases. In January 2018, we introduced acoustic lubri- cation in some of the most critical pieces of equipment, as we know it is a more effi- cient methodology. For fluid ana lysis, we manage more than 70 pieces of critica l equipment each month. Q: On what lubrication-re- lated projec t s a re you currently working? A: Currently, I'm working on a project to reduce hydraulic f luid consumption in the rolling mill. Q: What have been some of the biggest project successes in which you've played a part? A: I'd say the successful implementation of the Gerdau Business System (GBS) at the steel mill in Petersburg, Virginia, as well as the SAP implementation project for Gerdau North America. Q: How does your company view machinery lubrication in terms of importance and overall business strategy? Be Featured in the Next 'Get to Know' Section Would you like to be featured in the next "Get to Know" section or know someone who should be profiled in an upcoming issue of Machinery Lubrication magazine? Nominate yourself or fellow lubri- cation professionals by emailing a photo and contact information to editor@noria.com. 24 | January - February 2019 | www . machinerylubrication.com