RCM

In full
is

Reliability - centered
Maintenance
RCM definition…

 A process used to
determine the
maintenance
requirements of
any physical asset
in its operating
context.
RCM
 The present day RCM has taken over 40
years to evolve to its present state. The
framework came from aviation industry.
 Since 1930’s , the evolution of
maintenance may be traced through
three generations.
 RCM is rapidly becoming the
cornerstone of the third generation
RCM Objectives…
 Maintenance strategy optimization
 Extension of equipment life span
 Elimination of chronic machine
problem
 Root cause analysis.
 No preventive maintenance tasks
to be performed – unless it can be
justified
 Seven basic questions…..
 What are the functions and associated
performance standards of the assets in its
present operating context ?
 In what way does it fail to fulfill its functions ?
 What causes each functional failure ?
 What happens when each failure occurs ?
 In what way does each failure matter ?
 What can be done to predict or prevent each
failure ?
 What should be done if a suitable proactive
task cannot be found ?
RCM tasks…
 Scheduled re-work tasks
 Scheduled discard tasks

 Scheduled failure finding

tasks
 Condition monitoring tasks

 Redesign tasks
 RCM stages….
 Stage 1 : Review of equipment function

 Stage 2 : Review of failure modes, effects

and consequences

 Stage 3 : Determination of optimum

Functional Failure
In RCM failed state are known as functional failures because
they occur when an asset is unable to fulfill a function to
standard of performance which is acceptable to the user.
Failure Modes
Events which are reasonably likely to cause each failed state

Failure effects
This describes what happens when each failure mode occurs
RCM : stage 1
Equipment function is reviewed under
following categories :
 Primary function
 Secondary function

 Protective function

 Superfluous function
RCM stage - 2
Review of failure modes, effects
and consequences are basically
analysis of:
 Functional failure
 Failure modes
 Effect of failure
 Cause of failure
 Criticality of failure
RCM stage - 3
This stage determines optimum
strategies and tasks

The technique deals with

 FTA
(Fault Tree Analysis)

 FMECA
(Failure Mode Effect Criticality Analysis)
 DETAILED PROCESS FOR RCM (PHASE ONE)
Step-1: Identify Critical Equipments of the Plant
List the Equipments with Significant Functions
• Their Smaller Components and Sub Assemblies.
Step-2: Identify their Functions
Identify Critical Functions of each equipment.
• Essential - On-line
- Off-line
• Main Function - Production
- Safety
- Environment
• Auxiliary
• Protective
• Informative
• Interface/Interlink
• Superfluous
Step-3: Identify the Functional Failure of each
Critical Function (Effect).
List the Potential Failure mode or effect of failure or
Both of a component/sub-assembly
Effect such as : Low flow/No flow.
Step-4: List out Failure Mode/Cause of Failure
List the potential causes for every failure listed in Step-3.
Describe in terms of some thing that can be controlled or
corrected.Such as : Break down/Breakage/Mal function.
 Step-5:Root Cause
List every possible root cause assignable to each
Potential Failure.
Step-6:Severity (S):
Assess the seriousness of the effect (Consequences) of
each Potential Failure Mode.
Severity accounts to `effect’ only. It is estimated
(Ranked) on 1 to 10 Scale.
Note it down in work sheet.
Categories of Consequences:
(a) Hidden Function Failure Consequences
(HFC)
Not evident to user as main function did not stop, but it
leads to Catastrophic results subsequent to failure of the
component.
(b) Safety Consequences (Threat to human life or costly
Property).
© Environmental - Failure leading to violation of
Environmental Rules.
(d) Operational - Loss of Production
(e) Non Operational-Repair cost
7. Occurrence (O):
• The likelihood of the Occurrences.
The Ranking is on 1 to 10 and is qualitative rather than
Quantitative.
Frequency of Occurrence of failure mode is
considered but detecting measures are not considered.
8. Detection (D) :
Assess the probability of detection of failure mode
well before failure.
Step-9: RPN = (O) X (S) X (D)
Compute RPN and Fill in work sheet.
Step-10: Prepare Work sheet Two
• Sort the list in descending order of RPN.
• Focus attention on entry against highest RPN Value;
recommend corrective action to reduce RPN.
• Proceed Down words.
• If same RPN or even lower ; give priority to High
Severity (of Consequence) Ranks.
Step-11: Proposed Tasks
Suggest corrective actions directed first at the Highest
Ranked entries such as:
(i) To reduce RPN
RPN is the product of
* Seniority
* Occurrence
* Detection
So any action that reduces one or more of these would
reduce RPN.
(A) Seniority
(i) How to reduce Severity?
(a) Is the effect Evident of Hidden?
(b) Yes, If hidden (Find Alternative Reduce the effect.)
(ii) How to reduce the effect of Severity
* Can Redundancy be increased.
* Can Consequences be reduced.
* Re-design Maintenance
(Specially if RPN is low but Sensitivity is high.)
(B) Occurrence
How to reduce Occurrences?
If causes are clear - Reduce the Frequency
If not Clear/ Review the ones with High
Multiple Causes Ranking of severity and suggest
corrective actions.
Example: Wrong Replacement
Why Corrective Action
• No Right Stock/Spare - Go for right spare
• No Stock - Increase minimum stock level.
• Technicians not - Assess the Training Need.
knowing the procedure.
© Detection
How to improve (Lower the Ranking) Detection?
How to Detect that an equipment is going to fail or has
failed?
• CM Tools - Vibration, Data Logger, Meters etc.
• Fixed Schedule Failure finding Techniques - PM Checks,
Vibration Analysis, DGA, Thickness etc.
(B) Prevention Tasks
(a) For HFC, Safety and Environment Consequences are
worth preventing if corrective action reduces risk to an
acceptance level or else Re-design.
(b) Operational and Non - Operational consequences are
worth preventing if prevention cost is less than the
cost of repairs.
(i) On - Condition Task (CM)
(ii) Scheduled Restoring/Repair (SR)
(iii) Schedule - Discard (SD)
(iv) Scheduled - Failure Finding
(v) Re-Design
(vi) No PM - Leave the equipment to fail. (BDM)
The Selection of Prevention Tasks
Depends on
(i) Is it Applicable?
(ii) Is it cost Effective?
Step-12:
Frequency : Characteristic of failure and Preventive
Task decides the Frequency.
The Standard CM - Frequency is governed
by PF to FF intervals.
Scheduled Repair , Schedule Discard are
governed by : Useful Life time.
Scheduled Failure Finding : Frequency is ground by
* Consequence of Multiple Failure
* Availability Needed
* Mean Time between Hidden Failures (MTBF).
Step-13:
To be Done by: Identify Responsibility of Agency.
To Summarize the FMEA Schedule Work sheet shows
course of action selected for, to deal with each failure mode
and alsoit tells why was it selected.