This podcast is your premier destination to unravel how cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT, and Big Data are revolutionizing the way we approach reliability and maintenance in various industries. Our host, the CEO of Reliability.com, Sebastian Traeger, uses his extensive experience to illuminate the most pressing topics in the reliability engineering field today. The Reliability 4.0 Podcast is here to keep you informed and inspired, bringing you insightful discussions, interviews with leading experts, and real-world case studies. Subscribe now to never miss an episode!
E63: Lubrication Excellence: How Owens Corning Cut Bearing-Related Downtime by 36%
“The plants that are consistently winning aren’t necessarily the ones with the best technology.”
In this episode of Reliability 4.0, Matthew Hoffner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-hoffner-mlti-mle-cmrp-056b2881/), Reliability Engineer at Owens Corning (https://www.linkedin.com/company/owens-corning/), discuss about how root cause analysis revealed lubrication as a recurring contributor to equipment failures at the company’s Jacksonville facility.
Matt shares how the team responded with automatic lubrication systems, technician and operator training, updated PMs, clearer labeling, and better lubrication practices. But the biggest lesson was that tools alone were not enough. Lasting improvement required getting operators, maintenance, engineering, and leadership involved in reliability.
The conversation explores the practical changes behind those results, from calibrating grease guns and strengthening operator care to improving how teams approach root cause analysis and use AI in maintenance.
Key topics include:
🔹 How RCA identified lubrication as a recurring cause of failures
🔹 Reducing bearing-related downtime by more than 36% in 12 months
🔹 Why grease gun calibration can make a significant difference
🔹 Giving operators greater ownership of equipment reliability
🔹 Bringing cross-functional teams together for RCA
🔹 Where AI can help with maintenance data and condition monitoring
This episode is available on:
📺 YouTube (https://youtu.be/RGHV2zxMD5E)
🎧 Apple Music (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reliability-4-0/id1729943699)
Or wherever you get your podcasts!
Want to strengthen your RCA process alongside your maintenance data? 👉 https://easyrca.com/engage (https://easyrca.com/engage)
#Reliability40 #ReliabilityEngineering #Maintenance #Lubrication #RootCauseAnalysis #PreventiveMaintenance
6 Oct 2026
E62: The Future of Asset Management: AI, Predictive Maintenance & the Workforce with Kevin Clark
“We don’t want to run to technology when we’ve got something new and cool. We run to it when the workforce begins to shift towards it.”
In this episode of Reliability 4.0, Kevin Clark (https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkk/), VP, Head of Industrial Strategy and Asset Management at Siemens (https://www.linkedin.com/company/siemens/), shares about the changing landscape of asset management, AI, and maintenance technology.
Kevin shares his journey from spending a decade turning wrenches in maintenance and operations to leading asset management strategy at Siemens. He explains how that experience shaped his perspective on technology, workforce development, and what maintenance teams actually need from their software.
The conversation also explores where AI is already creating value, why much of what the industry calls predictive maintenance may actually be advanced condition monitoring, and why technology adoption needs to follow how people actually work.
Key topics include:
🔹 Bringing product and asset lifecycle management together
🔹 Why modern maintenance software needs to remain flexible and modular
🔹 Matching technology adoption with workforce readiness
🔹 Where AI is creating value in maintenance workflows and analytics
🔹 Why predictive maintenance may not be as predictive as we think
🔹 Keeping CMMS and EAM focused on what maintenance teams actually need
This episode is available on:
📺 YouTube (https://youtu.be/xrSnphvH3CI)
🎧 Apple Music (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reliability-4-0/id1729943699)
Or wherever you get your podcasts!
Want to strengthen your RCA process alongside your maintenance data? 👉 https://easyrca.com/engage (https://easyrca.com/engage)
#Reliability40 #ReliabilityEngineering #AssetManagement #Maintenance #PredictiveMaintenance #AI
15 Sept 2026
E61: How Nick Smith from Simmons Foods Breaking the Reactive Maintenance Cycle with Better Processes
If it’s not organized, it’s chaos. And in reliability, a repeatable process is what turns reactive work into consistent results. In this episode of Reliability 4.0, Nick Smith (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-smith-csm-cpre-3a3572205/), Maintenance and Reliability Manager at Simmons Foods (https://www.linkedin.com/company/simmonsfoods/), discuss why being process-driven is fundamental to improving maintenance and reliability.
Nick shares lessons from working across multiple facilities, including how Simmons Foods is strengthening PM programs, improving root cause analysis, making storeroom decisions based on process instead of gut feeling, and using AI to uncover insights hidden in maintenance data.
They discuss:
🔹 Why PM optimization is the foundation for reducing reactive maintenance
🔹 The difference between containing a failure and preventing it from happening again
🔹 Why RCA needs to happen close to the event, with the right people involved
🔹 How AI is helping analyze maintenance data and identify gaps
🔹 Why training and clearly defined processes are essential for sustainable reliability
Nick’s takeaway is simple: “A process delivers the same results every time, and that more or less defines reliability.”
This episode is available on:
📺 YouTube: https://youtu.be/_qIAxjkVyE0
🎧 Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reliability-4-0/id1729943699
Or wherever you get your podcasts!
Want to strengthen your RCA process alongside your maintenance data? 👉 https://easyrca.com/engage (https://easyrca.com/engage)
#Reliability40 #Reliability #Maintenance #RootCauseAnalysis #PreventiveMaintenance #AssetManagement
Who has been a guest on Reliability 4.0
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jerid Jackson
Allen Garcia
Craig Dark
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
38
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
Contact Reliability 4.0
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Reliability 4.0?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
