Reliability Centered Maintenance
A simple 7-step Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) model
Reliability Centered Maintenance offers a powerful suite tools that will help you to optimize your spare parts inventory. RCM doesn't need to be complicated and in just 7 quick and easy steps you can develop a very effective plan. Here's how.
Step 1 - Identify all Failure Modes
Select a system and break it down into maintenance significant items. Establishing the failure modes for each item.
For example, consider a tire. What could go wrong with it?
- it could burst
- go flat
- go bald in the center
- go bald at the edge, etc.
Step 2 - Establish the Cause of Each Failure
What could cause each failure mode? For example, why would tires go bald at the edge? The tracking could need adjusting or the ball-joints could be worn.
Step 3 - Establish the Effect of Each Failure
What would happen if a certain failure mode occurred? What would happen if a tire went bald at the edge? Consider a lorry in a quarry. It might be able to continue off-road in a reduced capacity. Use on the road might be prohibited.
Step 4 - Establish the Probability of Each Failure
What is the likelihood of each failure. For example, in the lorry's lifetime how many times will it need its tracking adjusting? What is the likelihood that a ball joint will go?
Step 5 - Identify Different Repair Tasks
How many different ways are there to repair each problem? For example, how could you repair a tire that has gone bald on one side? You could:
- buy another tire
- get a tire cutting company to recut the tread
- recut the tread yourself.
Step 6 - Conduct Level of Repair Analysis (LORA)
Trade-off each maintenance policy using the data you have gathered.
For example:
- a new tire might cost $1,500
- it might cost $10,000 to set up a facility to recut tires and cost $50 per repair, or
- it might cost $250 to have it done in a garage.
Option (1) would definitely cost more than (3) and if we expected to recut 50 tires or more then (2) would be the cheapest option.
Step 7 - Carry Out A Detailed Maintenance Task Analysis (MTA)
Finally, carry out maintenance task analysis. Define every step in the repair procedure. For example, consider the maintenance steps in the removal of a lorry wheel.
- Find level ground.
- Jack up the lorry.
- Undo the nuts.
- Remove the wheel.
This has shown that we will need a suitable jack and spanner. We might also need a repair shop, a manual and two men to lift the wheel. They might also need to go on a special training course, and of course they will need recoverable and disposable spare parts.
Final Tip
Reliability Centered Maintenance workshops give better and faster result than planning in isolation. Plan the new maintenance system with the team responsible for supporting it. This will almost guarantee your success.
Good luck and please let us know if you found this article useful.
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