There are many ways to use reliability-centered maintenance. This can save lives and prevent system failures, while also reducing costs and building efficiency. Read on to learn how you can make this approach work for you.
Preventing system failures
Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is a proactive approach to identifying and preventing failures of assets. It focuses on improving safety, productivity, and operational readiness. RCM uses a structured decision-making process to select the best maintenance methods for various equipment.
It is important to understand the differences between RCM and root-cause analysis. Both methods rely on an understanding of why components fail. The main difference between the two is that RCM seeks to find ways that a component can fail, whereas RCA identifies reasons for failures.
However, both methods require an understanding of the function of the component. Some components may need conditioned maintenance, while others may only need preventive maintenance.
In order to determine the appropriate maintenance strategy for each asset, reliability centered maintenance needs to identify the causes of failure and evaluate the consequences of these failures. These consequences include system performance, safety, operation, and economics.
Using a CMMS, a company can automate the analysis process. This allows for more efficient and accurate maintenance. CMMS systems also reduce the chances of missing equipment failures.
Saving lives
Reliability centered maintenance has been shown to reduce the cost of maintenance and improve equipment reliability and safety. RCM has been used by the aviation and aerospace industry to improve reliability, and to reduce the costs associated with unplanned downtime and high-cost repairs.
Before the advent of RCM, parts were typically replaced with no regard for condition. This approach had the potential to cause more harm than good. Consequently, equipment failures often led to crashes and other unfortunate incidents.
Today, many companies use a combination of different maintenance disciplines to optimize the performance of their systems. These disciplines include preventive, predictive, and reactive.
The first step in reliability centered maintenance is a thorough analysis of the assets. This includes evaluating the failure modes and consequences of each. Depending on the risk factors and the criticality of the asset, the maintenance plan will be tailored to suit the asset.
There are seven questions to answer before you begin. Each question will be addressed in a separate phase.
Reducing costs
Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) is a strategy that focuses on maximizing facility and component reliability. It can reduce equipment failures and minimize overall operating costs. Moreover, it improves the efficiency and safety of workers and plants.
RCM uses a combination of predictive and preventive maintenance techniques to reduce equipment failures. The key is to identify the most critical asset and develop a maintenance plan to maintain that asset. In addition, it also considers the equipment’s operating environment.
RCM’s success is evident in industries ranging from aviation to the data center. For example, the airline industry has shown that implementing a reliable maintenance program can reduce costs and increase reliability.
This strategy is a combination of predictive and preventive maintenance, with an emphasis on incremental improvement. Among other things, it reduces equipment failures and energy consumption. However, it does require a commitment of time and effort.
There are two main ways to implement an RCM program: through a lean maintenance system or through a more streamlined, centralized system.
Building efficiency
Reliability centered maintenance is a plan which is centered on reducing equipment failures. It helps plants and buildings operate efficiently and effectively. The goal is to reduce the cost and energy consumption of the operation by keeping components in good working order and decreasing the frequency of overhauls. In one case, reliability centered maintenance was able to save the NIF (National Institute for Fusion Energy) nearly $80,000.
The plan of a reliability centered maintenance program is to identify the most critical assets, analyze the failures, and develop a reliable maintenance strategy. When failures occur, the goal is to replace a part before it breaks. This can reduce costs and improve safety. For example, a laser-amplifying cooling system had a motor that was failing. A reliability centered maintenance plan was able to identify the problem and replace the motor before it failed. By performing vibration analysis, the failure was discovered and a new motor was installed before it broke.
Reliability centered maintenance is based on the concept that failures are influenced by the operating age of a component. Age related failures can account for eight to twenty percent of total failures. However, it is important to note that a random failure can also contribute to the total number of failures.
