TRO Solutions Reliability Centred Maintenance
Reliability Centered Maintenance can be basically described as a methodology used to determine the appropriate maintenance level required to allow the equipment to continue to perform reliably under its present operating requirements. It does this by answering these seven basic questions in this order
- What is its current function and performance standards
- How does it fail to fulfill these functions and standards
- What are the causes of each functional failure
- What happens when each failure occurs
- How does each failure matter
- How do you predict or prevent each failure
- What if you can’t predict or prevent a failure
Reliability Centered Maintenance requires the accumulation of data that is used to answer the above questions, so in effect it takes time to see any results. This need for time causes management to lose interest and look for short cuts, both of which will defeat the program. Also, it requires a considerable investment of time and money to train staff to use the methodology. Once these hurdles are eliminated, results can be significant. One plant was on the cusp of replacing 1000hp chemical pumps because of unacceptable failure rates. The requisition had even been approved. The plant decided to put it through the rigor of RCM, and found that the problem was how they were maintaining it. After the modified maintenance procedures were acted on, the problem cleared itself.
RCM takes input from all interested parties, does a formal analysis that leads to courses of action that modify the existing planned, predictive, breakdown and jurisdictional maintenance programs so that overall, the plant’s maintenance performance improves.
TRO has RCM Certified maintenance management advocates who are fully versed in the procedures required to achieve the maximum performance your equipment assets are able to reach.