long term reliability

More long term thinking ... reliability:

In a conference paper "The Responsibility for Reliability", G.P. Balcar (see detailed reference below) described the importance of maintaining and improving reliability, in an era of cost-effectiveness demands. The point was made that reliability was developed through the genuine concern of scientists, design engineers, manufacturing superintendents, foremen, workers and technical and general managers. Furthermore, cost effectiveness (or cost-benefit) could be beneficial in the sense of trimming waste but counter-productive if reliability is compromised as a result.

While not directed specifically at corrosion, G.P. Balcar's paper appears highly relevant to corrosion control in a cost-cutting age. Selected excerpts from this paper, pertinent to long term thinking are:

"Unfortunately, the critical nuances of reliability often do not escape unimaginative cost cutting."
"... there are often cases where materials are wasted, labor time is increased and productivity is decreased by attempting to save money the wrong way."
"Abridging these (proper engineering) standards for initial savings which cause greater expense in the long run is hardly rational action."
"Unwise cost savings often are based on the omission of essential details."
"It is far better to argue the reasons for the details and the technical issues, than to argue with insurance adjusters or before judges."

References/Literature:

G.P. Balcar: "The Responsibility for Reliability", ICSP-3, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, 1987, International Scientific Committee for Shot Peening.

Links:
corrosion cycle.

basic maintenance strategies

litigious society