About RCM
Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is an analytical process used to determine
optimum preventive maintenance requirements and other failure management strategies
for physical assets. RCM is based on a philosophy of preserving equipment function
using knowledge of the failure characteristics and operating experience of the equipment
in a specific operating environment.
RCM was originally developed to define preventive maintenance programs for commercial
aircraft. Over the past three decades, the RCM process has been refined, updated,
and applied in virtually every industrial field, from aviation to power generation
to manufacturing. The RCM process can be effectively applied to any equipment in
any stage of its life cycle, from initial development to late into its useful life.
The output of an RCM analysis is an optimized maintenance program. RCM provides
recommendations for preventive maintenance tasks and their frequencies, design changes,
other equipment and process improvements, and recommendations to run some items
to failure. RCM can be used to determine whether implementing new technology, such
as predictive maintenance (PdM) technology, or updating installed hardware is necessary
or cost effective. RCM will also determine where and how often PdM should be applied.
RCM can also provide recommendations to reduce the consequences of failures in other
ways such as reducing down time by stocking critical spare parts.
The primary benefits of RCM are:
• Improved operating safety and hazard risk reduction
• Reduced maintenance and operating costs
• Reduced asset downtime and increased asset availability
• Increased equipment life
• Documentation trail for maintenance decisions
• Continuous improvement of the maintenance program
In many cases, a positive return on investment on the analysis effort can be realized
in as little as a few weeks. ASI can help you implement an RCM program that provides
immediate and significant return on investment.