RCM Methodology Reliability

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Asset Maintenance
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Question 1: Reflective Essay
1.1 An overview of RCM methodology
Reliability centred maintenance can be defined as a procedure that is structured in such a
way that it can be used in the identification of the suitable level for the preventive
maintenance of a piece of equipment in order to i) maintain intrinsic performance levels
safety and reliability, ii) reduce the failures and the maintenance costs associated with the
equipment over its life cycle (Langli, 2018). Reliability is defined as the ability of a
component or a system to carry out its mandated tasks for a specific period and under specific
conditions (Langli, 2018). Maintenance, on the other hand, refers to an activity or work done
on a system or its components to ensure continued ability to perform its function. The
primary objectives of reliability centred maintenance include:
i) To ensure the safety of a system via preventive maintenance (PM) actions. If
preventive maintenance cannot guarantee safety, the entire system must be
redesigned (Paulsen, 2018).
ii) If for instance, safety is not paramount, the functionality of the system can be
maintained. However, this must be done in the most economical manner and with
minimum effects on system operation (Paulsen, 2018).
RCM minimizes the possibility of component or system failure to achieve the highest
possible system reliability or availability. RCM identifies the most cost-effective techniques
that can be applied to minimize the probability of system failure. There are several ways of
conducting and implementing reliability centred maintenance. One way to conduct RCM is
through intense failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and FMECA with mathematical
calculations of probabilities based on component history, design, experimental data, and
intuition (Sarno Severi, 2014). To conduct RCM, the following general steps can be
followed:

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i) Identification of system functions and its associated performance standards in its
present operating conditions
ii) Determination of the system function failures. This involves identifying the ways
in which a component can fail to perform its functions
iii) Identification of system or component failure modes. This step determines the
cause of each function failure.
iv) Determination of failure effects. This step determines the system behavior under
the identified failure conditions.
v) Determination of the consequences of failure. In this step the ways in which the
failures impact the system are determined.
vi) Determination of the possible maintenance tasks. This step identifies what has to
be done to prevent or predict failure.
Advantages of RCM
i) Reliability centered maintenance minimizes the cost of performing repairs
because failures are reduced.
ii) RCM increases the reliability of a system or a component significantly
iii) RCM is capable of directing maintenance tasks on the critical system components
iv) RCM is a very efficient system maintenance program
v) It incorporates the analysis of component failure root causes
Disadvantages of RCM
i) RCM is associated with considerable start-up costs. These are in the form of
training and equipment purchase
ii) Its potential to save costs is usually vague to the management hence they may be
reluctant to adopt it
iii) RCM can be time-consuming especially when applied to industrial systems with
their many components
1.2 An overview of FMEA process

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Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a systematic collection of activities
aimed at identifying and evaluating the possible failures a component or a system can
experience and the impacts of that failure (Campbell, Jardine, & McGlynn, 2016). Besides,
the process also identifies the possible actions that could be taken to reduce or eliminate the
probability of the failure occurring and documenting the entire process. It was formalized by
the US Armed Forces in 1949 with the aim of classifying failures depending on their effects
on the success of missions and the safety of equipment and personnel (Herrmann, 2015).
FMEA types
There are three common types of FMEAs. These include:
i) System FMEAs
A system FMEA focuses on deficiencies related to the system such as safety issues,
interfaces, system integration, interactions between the system and other systems, human
interaction and other issues that can lead to overall system failure to perform its intended
functions (Tjernberg, 2018). It represents the highest-level analysis. It is directed to the
relationships and functions that are specific to the system as an entirety.
ii) Design FMEAs
These focus on the design of the product or system, normally at the component or
subsystem level. At this level, design-related deficiencies are the focus and emphasis is
placed on design improvement to ensure that the product operates safely and reliably
throughout its useful life (Carlson, 2012). The interface between components is also
considered in design FMEAs
iii) Process FMEAs
These mainly focus on processes such as assembly and manufacturing. The emphasis at
this level is on how to improve the manufacturing or processing procedure to make sure that