Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) is a corporate-level maintenance strategy

that is implemented to optimize the maintenance program of a company or facilit

y. The final result of an RCM program is the implementation of a specific mainte
nance strategy on each of the assets of the facility. The maintenance strategies
are optimized so that the productivity of the plant is maintained using cost-ef
fective maintenance techniques.
There are four principles that are critical for an reliability centered maintena
nce program.
1.The primary objective is to preserve system function
2.Identify failure modes that can affect the system function
3.Prioritize the failure modes
4.Select applicable and effective tasks to control the failure modes
7 questions that need to be asked for RCM
An effective reliability centered maintenance implementation examines the facili
ty as a series of functional systems, each of which has inputs and outputs contr
ibuting to the success of the facility. It is the reliability, rather than the f
unctionality, of these systems that are considered. The SAE JA1011 has a set of
minimum criteria before a maintenance strategy can be called RCM (Gulati). The s
even questions that need to be asked for each asset are:
1.What are the functions and desired performance standards of each asset?
2.How can each asset fail to fulfill its functions?
3.What are the failure modes for each functional failure?
4.What causes each of the failure modes?
5.What are the consequences of each failure?
6.What can and/or should be done to predict or prevent each failure?
7.What should be done if a suitable proactive task cannot be determined?
The 7 steps for implementing reliability centered maintenance
There are several different methods for implementing reliability centered mainte
nance that are recommended, summarized in the following 7 steps.
Step 1: Selection of equipment for RCM analysis
The first step is to select the piece of equipment for reliability centered main
tenance analysis.
The equipment selected should be critical, in terms of its effect on operations,
its previous costs of repair and previous costs of preventative maintenance.
Step 2: Define the boundaries and function of the systems that contain the selec
ted equipment
The equipment belongs to a system that performs a crucial function. The system c
an be large or small, but the function of the system, and its inputs and outputs
, should be known. For example, the function of a conveyor belt system is to tra
nsport goods. Its inputs are the goods and mechanical energy powering the belt,
while its outputs are the goods at the other end. In this case, the electric mot
or supplying the mechanical energy would be considered as part of a different sy
stem.
Step 3: Define the ways that the system can fail (failure modes)
In step 3 the objective is to list all of the ways that the function of the syst
em can fail.
For example, the conveyor belt may fail by being unable to transport the goods f
rom one end to the other, or perhaps it does not transport the goods quickly eno

ugh.
Step 4: Identify the root causes of the failure modes
With the help of operators, experienced technicians, RCM experts and equipment e
xperts, the root causes of each of the failure modes can be identified. Root cau
ses for failure of the conveyor could include a lack of lubrication on the rolle
rs, a failure of a bearing, or a loosened belt.
Step 5: Assess the effects of failure
In this step the effects of each failure mode are considered. Equipment failures
may affect safety, operations and other equipment.
Criticality of each of these failure modes can also be considered.
There are various recommended techniques that are used to give this step a syste
matic approach. These include:
1.Failure, mode and effects analysis (FMEA)
2.Failure, mode, effect and criticality analysis
3.Hazard and operability studies (HAZOPS)
4.Fault tree analysis (FTA)
5.Risk-based inspection (RBI)
The most important failure modes will be determined at the conclusion of this sy
stematic analysis.
Ask yourself questions such as Does this failure mode have safety implications? , a
nd
Does this failure mode result in a full or partial outage of operations? .
Your answer is the most important failure modes that should be prioritized for f
urther analysis.
Importantly, the failure modes that are retained include only those that have a
real probability of occurring under realistic operating conditions.
Step 6: Select a maintenance tactic for each failure mode
At this step, the most appropriate maintenance tactic for each failure mode is d
etermined. The maintenance tactic that is selected must be technically and econo
mically feasible.
Condition-based maintenanceis selected when it is technically and economically f
easible to detect the onset of the failure mode.
Time or usage-based preventative maintenance is selected when it is technically
and economically feasible to reduce the risk of failure using this method.
For failure modes that do not have satisfactory condition based maintenance or p
reventative maintenance options, then a redesign of the system to eliminate or m
odify the failure mode should be considered.
Failure modes that were not identified as being critical in Step 6 may, at this
stage, be identified as good candidates for a run-to-failure maintenance schedul
e.
Step 7: Implement and then regularly review the maintenance tactic selected
Importantly, the RCM methodology will only be useful if its maintenance recommen
dations are put into practice. When that has been done, it is important that the
recommendations are constantly reviewed and renewed as additional information i
s found.