Process Engineering Problem Solving

PROCESS ENGINEERING PROBLEM SOLVING Avoiding “The Problem Went Away, But It Came Back” Syndrome Joe M. Bonem A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION PROCESS ENGINEERING PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS ENGINEERING PROBLEM SOLVING Avoiding “The Problem Went Away, But It Came Back” Syndrome Joe M. Bonem A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 527-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. ISBN-13: 978-0470169285 Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is an attempt to both leave a legacy and to provide assistance for those starting or in the early stages of a career in engineering. The efforts in putting this book together are dedicated to: My Wife, Diane, who managed to teach me through words and examples that “people are more important than things”. Our Children, Mike, Tracey and Amy, who during their teenage years, taught me the value of just listening rather than always trying to solve problems. CONTENTS Preface 1 Initial Considerations 2 Limitations