What is RCM
Reliability Centered Maintenance
RCM (Reliability-centered maintenance) is a process that is focused on maximizing the reliability of a product or system by systematically identifying, analyzing, and correcting the causes of failures. It is the process of identifying and correcting the causes of failures in a product or system in order to minimize the consequences of failures. The reliability of a product or system can be increased by identifying and correcting the causes of failures in a systematic way.
Dear readers, in this post on Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), we will discuss the following topics,
- What is Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)?
- History of Reliability Cantered Maintenance (RCM)
- Reliability cantered Maintenance Analysis
- Maintenance tasks
- Predictive technology.
What is RCM?
RCM stands for Reliability Centered Maintenance and is a form of preventive maintenance that focuses on the reliability of equipment and systems. It is an analytical process used to identify potential failures that can lead to equipment or system downtime and their cause and effect. The RCM process involves collecting data on the performance of an asset and its parts, analyzing that data, and developing strategies to prevent or reduce these potential failures. RCM aims to maximize the reliability and availability of assets while minimizing operational costs.
History of Reliability Cantered Maintenance (RCM)
Three engineers initially developed Reliability Centered Maintenance. Tom Mattson, Howard Heap, Stanley Nowlan. They prepared a study, later sponsored by the US Department of Defense, on United Airlines’ aircraft maintenance and reliability requirements.
Risk management strategies
Reactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance is a type of maintenance repair work done as an immediate response to an asset failure. This repair work is done without prior planning and can be essential for reducing downtime. It can also help identify any weak spots in the asset or system that need further attention.
Reactive maintenance is not without its risks, however. Without proper preparation, it can lead to additional damage or even more costly repairs down the line. As such, it’s essential to have a well-rounded approach to maintenance that incorporates reactive and preventive strategies to ensure optimal performance and prevent asset failure.
Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance is critical to any successful maintenance program, as it keeps equipment and machinery running smoothly and prevents costly breakdowns. It involves regularly inspecting, maintaining, and repairing equipment to prevent malfunctions or failures. Preventive maintenance can be based on a calendar or usage statistic, such as months or miles. Through preventative care, you can save money by avoiding expensive repairs and downtime due to unexpected breakdowns. Moreover, preventive maintenance ensures that the life of the machinery is extended so that it continues to operate at its peak performance for more extended periods.
Predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance is a strategy that uses the actual condition of an asset to determine the proper time for maintenance. It is based on non-invasive measurements such as temperature, vibration, and other monitored parameters to determine when the asset is due for service or repair. Predictive maintenance helps organizations with preventive maintenance, reduces downtime, and improves operational efficiency.
Predictive maintenance helps organizations anticipate problems before they happen Using predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms. This can result in substantial cost savings as well as improved customer satisfaction. Predictive maintenance also requires less labor and resources than regular preventive or reactive maintenance strategies, which can further reduce costs and improve productivity.
Corrective maintenance
Corrective maintenance is a crucial part of ensuring the reliability and performance of any machine or system. It involves identifying, repairing, and replacing faulty components to restore the machine’s or system’s purpose and functioning. Without corrective maintenance, machines and systems may be unreliable and inefficient or become utterly unusable. It is essential to carry out corrective maintenance regularly to ensure that all machines are in proper working condition, to make the machines reliable.
Run-to-failure maintenance
Run-to-failure maintenance is a deliberate decision to allow equipment to operate until it fails. It is a strategy used by many organizations that prioritize production output over preventive maintenance costs. This type of maintenance has been widely adopted due to its simplicity and low cost, as it requires the equipment operator to monitor the system for any signs of abnormal behavior or failure.
Despite its advantages, Run-to-failure maintenance also comes with certain risks, such as increased production downtime and higher repair costs compared to preventive maintenance strategies. Additionally, it is difficult to predict when a particular component or system will fail, which can lead to unexpected and costly repairs. As such, Run-to-failure maintenance should only be used when preventive maintenance outweighs the cost of unplanned downtime or repairs.
Detective maintenance
Detective maintenance is a critical element of preventive maintenance, whereby regular and frequent checks are conducted to ensure that the function or job of an asset is being achieved. This type of maintenance often requires the use of specialized tools and processes, such as thermography and ultrasonic testing, to detect any signs of failure or malfunction.
By implementing a detective maintenance program, organizations can identify potential problems before they become severe enough to cause costly downtime or damage to equipment. Additionally, companies can gain valuable insights into their overall equipment performance and reliability by taking proactive steps in monitoring their assets.
Basics of RCM
RCM is a derivation of careful considerations of the following descriptions.
- How could a utility fail in accomplishing its function?
- Cause of utility failures
- Consequences of resource failure
- What are the ramifications of failure?
- What should be the action to mitigate the effects of these failures?
- Action in case of nil findings on task?
Advantage of RCM
Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is a systematic approach to optimize maintenance strategies by considering cost, safety, and performance factors. RCM encourages a proactive maintenance schedule rather than a reactive one, which involves responding to failures with repairs and replacement of components. This method helps organizations find the best balance between repair costs, operation costs, and risk levels. The advantage of RCM is that it reduces downtime and extends the life of assets by improving preventive maintenance effectiveness. Additionally, it helps increase customer satisfaction by improving the quality of service delivered to customers.
The conventional way of Schedules maintenance
The conventional schedule maintenance is established on the theory that every part of system equipment has an expected life when a complete overhaul is necessary to assure safety and operating reliability. But experience shows that it is impossible to avoid breakdown despite several maintenances.
Important Revelations
- Planned maintenance has a minor effect on the overall reliability of a system component unless the component has an assertive failure approach.
- There are several components in machinery without an effective form of planned maintenance.
- We can achieve a cost reduction in upkeep without a decrease in reliability. Knowledge of the failure process in the system component has enhanced reliability by making it possible to direct scheduled activity at specific evidence of potential failures.
Proactive Maintenance Techniques
- Specifications for Refurbished/ new machine
- Precision refurbished and installation
- Analysis of filed components
- Analysis for the root cause failure
- Reliability based Engineering.
- Certification and verification of refurbished equipment
- Exploration of age
- Control on recurrence.
Predictive Technology (Reliability Centered Maintenance)
Predictive technology covers the following checks and tests.
- Ultrasonic detection
- Vibration analysis
- Infrared thermography
- Oil analysis
- Analysis of electrical system
Lubricating Oil Analysis
Carry out the Analysis of lubricating oil for the following parameters and checks.
- Visual inspection and smell.
- Viscosity test
- Water content test
- Presence of solids in water (TDS etc.)
- Counting of particles
- TAN Value
- Total Base Number ( TBN Value)
- Spectrometric metal analysis
- Infrared spectrography
- Ferrography
Electrical Tests
Carry out the electrical tests as per the following chart.
Root Cause of bearing failure
- Improper lubrication of bearing amounts to 43 % of bearing failures. Improper lubrication includes, Over Lubrication, under lubrication, and Wrong Lubrication.
- Improperly installed bearings amount to 27 % of bearing failures. Improper installation includes hammering, Heating, and improper setting.
- Other sources amount to 21 % of the bearing failures. Other sources include improper application, manufacturing defects, and excessive vibrations in equipment.
- Normal life wears out amounts to 9 % of the bearing failure.
Hidden Failures (Reliability Centered Maintenance)
- The occurrence of some failure is such that the failure is not known until some subsequent failure occurs.
- Half the failures are due to concealed deterioration. Hence such failure handling should be with special care.
- Hidden failures require the static approach for identification.
In my career i have come across many incidences of machinery failure due to the negligence in the preventive maintenance of a machine. A machine is continuously used without any maintenance during its initial phase. Management is always happy to see that there are no maintenance expenses. It is only realised later on, when a machine stops working or there is heavy spares consumption due to the catastrophic failure.
Blog Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our blog on what is RCM. RCM stands for “reliability centered maintenance” which is a proactive approach to prevent problems before they happen. This especially helpful when dealing with machinery. By understanding what causes problems, you can stop them before they happen which will reduce time and money spent. Please contact us anytime if you have any further questions or concerns by visiting https://www.marinediesel.co.in/. Thank you for reading and if you liked this article, please let us know.
