like the paints that an artist uses. The same paints used by ten different artists will produce ten different paintings. How the paints are used is what determines if a masterpiece unfolds. So too are the principles of RCM.
This book comes from my heart. Its words are not only what I believe to be true, but what I know to be true. John trained his network members to be responsible custodians. He said it best when he affirmed “we are here to promulgate the principles we believe to be best practice and in so doing make the world a safer place for all who live in it.”
During another conversation, John described how RCM principles could be used better in a particular industry. When I asked him why they weren’t doing it better, he responded by simply saying “because they’re doing the Waltz.” When I asked him why they were doing the Waltz, he said “because no one is playing the Tango.”
May I have this dance?
Nancy Regan
Madison, Alabama
May 2012
Introduction to Reliability Centered Maintenance
I am always excited to discuss Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) because I have seen first hand the overwhelming positive results that can be reaped when the process is applied correctly with the right people. RCM isn’t a new process. The application of its principles spans four decades; it has been (and is being) applied in nearly every industry throughout the world.
RCM is one of the most powerful asset management processes that can be employed. Contrary to criticism about the process, RCM can be carried out swiftly and efficiently when executed properly. Additionally, RCM’s principles are so diverse that they can be applied to any asset—an airplane, nuclear power plant, truck, tank, ship, manufacturing plant, offshore oil platform, mobile air conditioning unit, tow tractor, jet engine, a single pump, or an engine control unit. RCM principles can be widely applied to an entire asset or more narrowly applied to select pieces of equipment.
The name Reliability Centered Maintenance lends itself to a process that is used to develop proactive maintenance for an asset, but RCM can also be used to formulate scores of solutions that reach far beyond maintenance. These solutions can offer tremendous benefit to an organization. Nevertheless, when applying RCM, many organizations focus only on the development of a proactive maintenance program, which doesn’t take full advantage of RCM’s powerful principles. This book sets forth the principles of RCM in a straightforward manner so that those interested in applying RCM can be aware of not only how uncomplicated the application of RCM can be, but also how powerful it is.
1.2 Elements that Influence a System
It is especially important to look beyond proactive maintenance because there are so many elements that influence a system, as depicted in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1 Examples of elements that influence a system
It doesn’t matter what the equipment is. Many factors have a direct effect on equipment performance: the scheduled maintenance that is applied, the operating procedures that are performed, the technical publications that are referenced, the training programs that are attended, the design features that are in service, the spare parts (or lack thereof) that are relied upon, how often an asset is operated, where equipment is required to function, and the emergency procedures that are in place. If these strategies are well developed, the equipment (and thus the organization) benefit. If any of these strategies are ill-conceived or inappropriate, the process by which the equipment plays a part suffers.
1.3 The Essence of RCM: Managing the Consequences of Failure
It is often wrongly believed that equipment custodians are in the business of preventing failure. Although it is possible to develop strategies that do prevent some failures (see Chapter 9), it is nearly impossible to prevent all failures. For example, is it possible to prevent all failures associated with an electric motor? How about an automobile starter, avionics equipment, or a turbine engine? Certainly not. Thus, other strategies are often put in place in order to manage otherwise unpreventable failures when they occur.
For example, organizations rely heavily on operating procedures, emergency procedures, training programs, and redundancy in the design of equipment, as depicted in Figure 1.1. There are three fully redundant hydraulic systems on most commercial aircraft because it is understood that all causes of failure for a hydraulic system cannot be prevented. If one of the three systems fails, two fully redundant systems are available to provide the required hydraulic power for safe flight. Because all failures cannot be prevented, responsible custodians must put other solutions in place to properly deal with failure when it occurs. In other words, responsible custodians are in the business of managing the consequences of failure—not necessarily preventing them.
Myriad issues, such as incomplete operating procedures or poor equipment design, can negatively affect equipment performance. For that reason, it is incredibly important that these issues are identified and included in an RCM analysis. Including them allows the matter to be analyzed using RCM principles so that a technically appropriate and effective solution can be formulated.
One of the major products of an RCM analysis is the development of a scheduled maintenance program. However, as depicted in Figure 1.2, RCM can help formulate other solutions such
