Implementation Of Reliability Centered Maintenance Research Articles

Identifying critical components for railways rolling stock reliability: a case study for Iran.

Electrical railways constitute a vital component of transportation infrastructure worldwide, with rolling stock representing a key element of these systems. Given the extensive operational hours of such systems, effective maintenance scheduling and asset management are imperative to ensure reliability and safety while mitigating costs. This paper addresses the challenge of optimizing maintenance practices for railway rolling stock by introducing a novel implementation of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) grounded in the reliability block diagram (RBD) framework. This methodology meticulously incorporates reliability parameters into maintenance strategies, aiming to enhance the operational efficiency of railway systems. Leveraging the criticality index, the study identifies components crucial for train reliability, facilitating cost-effective maintenance management. The proposed approach is applied and validated on the Tabriz line 1 metro in Iran, a system with over six years of operational history. Analysis reveals the bogie subsystem's criticality due to its interconnected components, with parts exhibiting significant mean time to repair (MTTR). Conversely, the brake system emerges as the most reliable subsystem. Additionally, sensitivity analysis demonstrates an inverse relationship between repair rates and component sensitivity, highlighting the pivotal role of efficient repair processes in bolstering system reliability. This research contributes a comprehensive and validated methodology for RCM in railway rolling stock, emphasizing cost reduction, system reliability, and strategic prioritization of maintenance efforts. As the approached method in this research is not limited to the specific case study and can be applied in any system by generating the RBD and reliability parameters of the system we want to study The findings hold significant implications for the global planning and execution of railway maintenance operations, setting a new standard for reliability-centered maintenance practices in the field.

Integration of Industry 4.0 with reliability centered maintenance to enhance sustainable manufacturing

AbstractAchieving sustainability in manufacturing requires optimizing reliability and productivity while reducing environmental impact. This article introduces a novel approach by integrating Industry 4.0 technologies with reliability centered maintenance (RCM) to create a “smart RCM” model. In an era where Industry 4.0 leverages the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber physical systems (CPSs), cloud computing, and cognitive computing, this integration transforms conventional RCM into a data‐driven and efficient system. A case study conducted in a cement plant illustrates the benefits of smart RCM implementation. Key performance indicators (KPI), including increased production volume, reduced downtime, enhanced mean time between failures (MTBF), and improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), showcase the positive impact of smart RCM. Furthermore, specific environmental performance indicators, such as energy consumption, carbon footprint, and water consumption, exhibit favorable changes, contributing to sustainability. The implementation of smart RCM also presents an attractive payback period, making it an appealing approach for industries looking to optimize maintenance practices and environmental performance. Despite potential challenges in workforce adaptation and resistance, the integration of Industry 4.0 with RCM emerges as a transformative strategy.

A fuzzy ANP-based criticality analyses approach of reliability-centered maintenance for CNC lathe machine components

Calculation of the criticality score and its analysis are important for the reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) of CNC lathe machine components. The tools of a CNC lathe machine include complex critical part and sub-systems. The reliability of parts decline due to the independent system fault. To identify the essential components of CNC lathe machine tools, a system level component criticality analysis method is proposed. In this study, a comprehensive framework of criticality-based RCM implementation through experimentation of a CNC-lathe machine is proposed. The criticality of machine components were identified by investigating their dependency on the criteria and sub-criteria. Five main criteria were found effective for the criticality of the components which are the cost, complexity, sustainability, functional dependency, and safety impacts. Fuzzy analytical network process (FANP) approach was employed to evaluate criticality scores for eleven-component of a CNC lathe machine. This is a preliminary study and aims to contribute to the literature and practitioners in many ways. The primary focus of our method lies in its capability to predict criticality values for a manufacturing system in absence of historical maintenance data relying on the expertise/intuition of the operator(s) for decision making for the predictive maintenance of the system with the help of fuzzy ANP approach. It was found that the turret was the most critical component with a metric of 0.0641 which was also found to be over 3 times more critical than the least critical hydraulic system, which had a criticality metric of 0.0187. This novel FANP framework provides a credible solution to real-world RCM scheduling and can be applied to any manufacturing system-related application.

Application of the reliability-centered maintenance techniques for dynamic equipment in the petrochemical ammonia-related systems

The reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) analysis method and the RCM implementation process for dynamic equipment in petrochemical ammonia-related systems were introduced. The operation situation, key roles, and potential risks were clarified through data analysis and system screening in ammonia dynamic equipment, and FMEA was used to analyze the failure mode. Then the risk of each failure mode was managed hierarchically, a suitable risk assessment standard and risk matrix were developed for the enterprise, and a suitable maintenance strategy was formulated for the risk level of each failure mode.

Optimization of maintenance strategies for steam boiler system using reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) model – A case study from Indian textile industries

PurposeThis study focuses on the application of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) to a textile industry steam boiler. The study aims to demonstrate the development and application of RCM to a steam boiler used in the textile industry.Design/methodology/approachRCM is a structured process that develops maintenance activities needed on physical resources in their operational environment to realize their inherent reliability by logically incorporating an appropriate mixture of reactive, preventive, condition-based and proactive maintenance methods. A detailed analysis of the RCM approach is presented to develop preventive maintenance (PM) program and improve the reliability and availability of the steam boiler system.FindingsThe research reveals that the identification of PM tasks is a good indicator of the PM program's efficiency and can serve as an important maintenance-related downtime source. It is also discovered that the majority of maintenance programs that claim to be proactive are, in fact, reactive. This article also shows how RCM may be successfully implemented to any system, resulting in increased system reliability.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper focuses on a pilot study of the development and implementation of the RCM technique to a textile industry steam boiler. It is suggested that the developed RCM model can be applied to the entire plant.Originality/valueThe paper presents a comprehensive RCM model framework as well as an RCM decision framework, providing maintenance managers and engineers with a step-by-step approach to RCM implementation. The proposed framework is significant in that it may be utilized for both qualitative and quantitative analysis at the same time.

The Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) effect on plant availability and downtime loss in the process industry

The process industry needs an optimal preventive maintenance strategy because the even breakdown of one machine can cause an unexpected shutdown for the whole production process. The case study company (CSC), one of the fertilizer companies in Indonesia implements Reliability-centered Maintenance (RCM) as their preventive maintenance strategy to decrease downtime and increase the availability of the production plants. Eversince the RCM implementation started in 2007, there is no study to evaluate the RCM implementation. Relations between the two parameters (downtime loss and availability) are analyzed using the Pearson correlation test as a statistical method to evaluate the RCM implementation. The results of the analysis show that the R-value of downtime loss and availability of K-3 Ammonia and Urea plants are increased, while the R-value of K-4 Ammonia and Urea Plants are decreased. The RCM implemented in K-4 plants should be evaluated respectively, because the decreasing of the correlation means the RCM implementation on the plant still has not met its propose and there are stills hidden factors that affect the availability and downtime loss of the plant, regardless the RCM implementation.

A Novel Method to Apply Reliability-Centered Maintenance on Over-Current Protection Systems

An optimum maintenance plan for the protection systems of substations leads to improve the reliability while reducing the related costs. Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is one of the widely used strategies to obtain an optimal maintenance plan. An important issue in the protection systems is lack of a direct way between normal operation states of the pieces of equipment and their failure states, which is named “hidden function”. This hidden function of the equipment in the protection systems is the main issue challenging the implementation of RCM on such systems. Over-current protection systems are one of the main protection systems which are installed in the outgoing distribution feeders of substations. This paper presents a novel approach for the implementation of RCM on the over-current protection systems. The main advantage of the proposed approach is its global consideration of a protection system instead of only focusing on relays. The proposed approach has been applied on two different substations using real data of their over-current protection systems obtained from The Organization of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Management of Electric Power in Iran (Tavanir). The results reveal a higher reliability and lower costs of the proposed maintenance plan in comparison with current maintenance plans.

Data fusion framework for decision-making support in reliability-centered maintenance

ABSTRACT Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is among the contemporary maintenance methodologies used to increase reliability of industrial systems. RCM is used to ensure that the functions of any given component of an asset or operating system are preserved in terms of safety, quality, and economy without environmental impact. Decision processes in traditional RCM applications feature predominantly qualitative information requirements, used in decision-making processes without adequate criteria and subject to errors caused by human factors. In this context, this research proposes the creation of a knowledge database that merges qualitative and quantitative information to be used in analyzing and improving decisions in RCM deployments. The choice of the best data items to be used in the implementation and evaluation of RCMs, as well as formalization of information for application in decision-making, is important accomplishments to ensure the program’s suitability to the company context, thereby resulting in the delivery of program objectives.

Criticality-based reliability-centered maintenance for healthcare

PurposeMedical technologies and assets are one of the main drivers of increasing healthcare cost. The rising number and complexity of medical equipment have forced hospitals to set up and regulate medical equipment management programs to ensure critical devices are safe and reliable. The purpose of this paper is to gain insights into maintenance management-related activities for medical equipment. The paper proposes applying a tailored reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approach for maintenance activities selection for medical equipment. Such approach will support assets management teams in enhancing operation, decrease risk and cost, and ultimately improve health of patients served by these equipment.Design/methodology/approachThe traditional RCM approach will be used with a focus on criticality reduction. By criticality, the authors refer to the severity of failures and occurrence. The proposed method relies on the use of reliability growth analysis for opportunity identification followed by a thorough failure mode and effect analysis to investigate major failure modes and propose ways to reduce criticality. The effectiveness of the proposed method will be demonstrated using a case of one of the leading obstetric and gynecological hospitals in United Arab Emirates and in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.FindingsThe case examines the relationship between the current practice of planned preventive maintenance and the failure rates of the equipment during its life span. Although a rigorous preventive maintenance program is implemented in the hospital under study, some critical equipment show an increasing failure rates. The analysis highlights the inability of traditional time-driven preventive maintenance alone in preventing failures. Thus, a systematic RCM approach focused on criticality is more beneficial and more time and cost effective than traditional time-driven preventive maintenance practices.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the need for utilizing RCM approach with criticality as the most important prioritization criterion in healthcare. A proper RCM implementation will decrease criticality and minimize the risk of failure, accidents and possible loss of life. In addition to that, it will increase the availability of equipment, and reduce cost and time.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a maintenance methodology that can help healthcare management to improve availability and decrease the risk of critical medical equipment failures. Current practices in healthcare facilities have difficulty identifying the optimal maintenance strategy. Literature focused on medical maintenance approach selection is rather limited, and this paper will help in this discussion. In addition to that, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation supports the initiative of adopting RCM on a large scale in healthcare. Therefore, this paper address the gap in the literature for medical equipment maintenance and the work is in line with the recommendation of leading healthcare association. The paper also presents statistical review of the total number of received maintenance work orders during one full year in the hospital under study. The analysis supports the need for more research to examine current practice and propose more effective maintenance approaches.

TPM and RCM Implementation in Textile Company for Improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness

The main of this study was to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) at a Bahirdar textile share company through the implementation of the integrated system of TPM with the RCM. The study aims initially interviews, reviewing documentation and historical records, direct and participatory observation were used as data collection methods during the research to identifying the major problems and problem areas of the company and unconditionally concluded that the high rate of unplanned downtime failure and the loss of the performance exist in the company. This can be recognized to the condition of equipment due to the different factor, ignorance of operator, low skill and spare part to mention. The neglected preventive maintenance system of the industry is also contributed to this effect. This research work then proposes maintenance system model based on the findings in the process. The study finally highlights how to combine the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) with the implementation and execution of the different Total productive maintenance (TPM) to improve the overall equipment attentiveness.

Maintenance Task Allocation And Planning In KT. X Tugboat Using Reliability Centered Maintenance Method

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) as one of the processes that used to decisive action which should be performed to ensure any physical components or a system can work optimally in accordance with the function desired by its users. Basically, RCM used a risk management principles of the failure of the components so that it can be determined the type of maintenance properly. With the appropriate type of maintenance, then the failures that may occur can be prevented at once to be able to be detected before they occur. Appropriate implementation of RCM, capable of delivering cost savings, the impact on both the cost of maintenance as well as repair costs due to the occurrence of failure. In this paper, the components become the object of research is the main engine of the KT. X tugboat belongs to Pelindo Marine Service (PMS) Surabaya. KT. X tugboat has the lowest level of availability of the entire company-owned tugboat 80.01 percent. Tugboat is one of the main assets of PMS who support the economy of the company. Therefore, it is imperative for a company to further enhance the efficiency of activities of its operations. These include the efficiency of human resources, as well as economic analysis of system reliability of company assets. It is used in order to keep abreast of competition at the world maritime national and globally. Implementation of RCM process on main engine KT. X, priority levels can be specified against the failure of components that have critical consequences. So it can be a planned maintenance system generated properly and efficiently.

RCM implementation on plastic injection molding machine considering correlated failure modes and small size sample

Maintenance has become an important support for ensuring equipment availability, on-time deliveries and quality of products. In that sense, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) could be used due to its basic characteristics like cost-effectiveness and accuracy. The RCM methodology is based on equipment reliability, which is estimated assuming that all failure modes are independent. However, in some cases, this assumption is not always satisfied. This paper seeks to show the effect of considering dependence for different failure modes; a comparison between traditional reliability models and copulas model is made. An injection molding process is considered for application in order to assess the proposed model and define a maintenance activities’ program. Including dependence between failure modes in reliability estimation allowed 75% savings in the annual maintenance costs, which represent a direct benefit for company.

Application of Game Theory in Reliability-Centered Maintenance of Electric Power Systems

As the electricity market undergoes continuous evolutions, along with the widely-recognized outdated nature of the grid, system operators would have to be able to more effectively manage the system operation expenses since waves of maintenance costs and equipment investments would be anticipated in a few years to come. Strategic implementation of cost-effective reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approaches seems to be a key solution. This paper proposes an efficient method to assess the component criticality for system overall reliability and further maintenance focuses. A solution concept of game theory, called shapely value, is proposed that is able to fairly identify the contribution of every single equipment's to the system reliability performance once a high-order contingency occurs under different loading conditions. The identified critical components are then systematically involved in a new optimization framework for effective scheduling of RCM implementation in power systems. The suggested framework helps in realizing where investments and maintenance to be made in the grid to ensure a desirable system reliability performance. Implemented on the IEEE reliability test system, the effectiveness of the suggested framework is confirmed by comparing to conventional techniques under various scenarios.

A SWOT analysis of reliability centered maintenance framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use well-established methodology strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis – in order to identify the important factors for reliability centered maintenance (RCM) implementation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper demonstrates a SWOT analysis for different 19 frameworks of RCM to make a strategic decision for implementing RCM in different organizations. The various 19 frameworks are grouped together into three clusters, namely Group A, Group B and Group C based on their qualitative or theoretical, quantitative and practical approach, respectively. Findings – The strengths and weaknesses are identified by internal factors while the opportunities and threats are identified by external factors of an organization for each group of frameworks. Also, it was observed that each group of frameworks has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Research limitations/implications – In this paper, the SWOT analysis for RCM implementation is limited to the comparison of various 19 RCM frameworks which are available in literatures and based on internal or external factors of an organization. Practical implications – The SWOT analysis also suggests that the implementation of RCM is not an easy task for any practitioner and one should weigh in all the opportunities and threats before arriving at any strategic decision. Originality/value – A unique approach applied to analysis the frameworks of RCM. The SWOT analysis of various RCM frameworks will help the practitioner to take any strategic decision for RCM implementation in an organization.

Reliability Based Maintenance Strategy Selection in Process Plants: A Case Study

The importance of maintenance function has increased due to its role in keeping and improving the availability, product quality, safety requirements and operating cost levels of the process plants. Accordingly, maintenance strategy selection became one of the most important decision making activity in the industry. This paper proposes a general approach to implement Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) in process plants. RCM is a recently evolved maintenance strategy that incorporates all the advantages of traditional maintenance strategies. More precisely, RCM selects the most appropriate and tailor made maintenance strategy for all the equipment in the plant based on its criticality score and reliability parameters. RCM implementation requires the collection and analysis of historical failure and maintenance data to determine current condition of the equipments. Subsequently, maintenance strategy is framed for the unit by following Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based methodology. This should be done by taking expert opinions of personals from both the maintenance and production departments. RCM implementation model presented here is validated with the maintenance history data of a process plant manufacturing titanium dioxide with a production capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes per annum. Currently the firm follows a combination of scheduled and breakdown maintenance strategies. However, RCM implementation in this plant is justified by the maintenance simulation results that revealed the current poor availability and performance of the equipments.

Implementing a Strategy of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) in the Libyan Cement Industry

The substantial development of the construction industry has forced the cement industry, its major support, to focus on achieving maximum productivity to meet the growing demand for this material. This means that the reliability of a cement production system needs to be at the highest level that can be achieved by good maintenance. This paper studies the extent to which the implementation of RCM is needed as a strategy for increasing the reliability of the production systems component can be increased, thus ensuring continuous productivity. In a case study of four Libyan cement factories, 80 employees were surveyed and 12 top and middle managers interviewed. It is evident that these factories usually breakdown more often than once per month which has led to a decline in productivity. In many times they cannot achieve the minimum level of production amount. This has resulted from the poor reliability of their production systems as a result of poor or insufficient maintenance. It has been found that most of the factories' employees misunderstand maintenance and its importance. The main cause of this problem is the lack of qualified and trained staff, but in addition it has been found that most employees are not found to be motivated as a result of a lack of management support and interest. In response to these findings, it has been suggested that the RCM strategy should be implemented in the four factories. The results show the importance of the development of maintenance strategies through the implementation of RCM in these factories. The purpose of it would be to overcome the problems that could secure the reliability of the production systems. This study could be a useful source of information for academic researchers and the industrial organizations which are still experiencing problems in maintenance practices.

철도차량의 유지관리 최적화를 위한 RCM 프로세스 개발 및 적용

Abstract - Recently, RCM(reliability centered maintenance) proc ess is introduced and applied for the planning and implementing efficient and effective maintenance s ystem in terms of optimal rolling stock maintenance. Particularly, cost-time benefits analysis associat ed with the implementation of RCM for rolling stock maintenance is necessary and required for railway operato r in advance. The RCM process was primarily starting from military, airplane and nuclear industri es and is now adapted in railway industry for local railway operators. This paper focuses on suggesting t he way of connecting the RCM process with railway maintenance activities in the railway operation fi eld. Thus, in order to introduce and establish reliability activitie s, it needs to review and evaluate the main-tenance environment in the organizational point of view. Based on these reviews and evaluations, various maintenance methodologies are reviewed for customizing local ra ilway field situations and establish specific process in the application of major systems on the reliability technology. In this paper, the railway RCM process is proposed for the establishment and construction of t he systematic and optimal maintenance system.

Maintenance Management:A Study of Reliability-CenteredMaintenance for Irrigation System

<abstract> <b><i>Abstract. </i></b> Irrigation systems constantly experience new developments, and decision makers are always concerned with their efficient management. Routine maintenance must be performed to ensure that the system fulfills the functions for which it was designed. Irrigation systems include many subsystems and to ensure proper functioning, a maintenance plan should be followed. System failures can have negative consequences for irrigated crops. This study demonstrates the implementation of RCM (reliability-centered maintenance) in an irrigation system for a real-world case. By implementing RCM in an irrigation system, it is possible to plan maintenance activities and make guided decisions within a structured plan. An efficient maintenance management framework for irrigation systems is the only way both to ensure the continued availability of the irrigation systems and to extend their useful life span. To these ends, the RCM methodology has achieved positive results in several areas of this study. The results indicated that the RCM methodology implemented for irrigation systems brought about greater accuracy in the maintenance decisions and activities applied to these systems, where the decision-maker of the irrigation system can define, based on the demand of a specific crop, the most appropriate maintenance actions for each consequence of failure. The use of this methodology highlights that effective maintenance management has to be aligned with the specificities of a crop and the functions and features of the system. In cases that do not use a standard maintenance policy, money and time is wasted, when non-effective maintenance is carried out unnecessarily, in addition to which total loss of a crop could result from not undertaking necessary maintenance activities.

Reliability Centered Maintenance in Schedule Improvement of Automotive Assembly Industry

Problem statement: Today, in many automotive manufacturing companies, maintenance management is an important factor to maintain the plant operation and production equipments. Approach: In this study, we present an implementation of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) practice in one of the automotive manufacturing company in Malaysia. The RCM practice was used to assist the company in focusing their maintenance activities based on the criticalities of the equipments by applying the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). The implementation of RCM was carried out in 4 stages; preparation, system analysis, decision making and feedback. The aim of RCM was to reduce the number of maintenance checklist and to improve significantly the integrity of maintenance practice. Results: As a result, the new RCM framework was generated where Class A equipment was at the top of the monthly maintenance frequency priority, followed by Class B and Class C equipment which had lesser critical value. Conclusion: The new RCM framework is used to conduct visible guideline and propose a new maintenance schedule. The guideline is useful for future maintenance strategy improvement. After the implementation, it can be ascertained that our proposed RCM is useful in reducing maintenance personnel burden and this leads to improvement of productivity.

Reliability centred maintenance in a thermal power plant: a case study

In the era of global competition, almost all the power, processing and manufacturing sectors are required to reduce their overall cost while maintaining the value and reliability of their assets. The electric power utilities are also active in looking for effective ways to improve the economic efficiency. One area, in particular, the equipment maintenance, is being scrutinised for reducing costs while keeping the overall reliable system. The use of reliability centred maintenance (RCM) can help these utilities to develop a systematic maintenance programme to meet these requirements in a cost-effective manner. This paper presents an extensive review of different applications of RCM and is intended as a guide in exploring the feasible areas of successful implementation of RCM to a thermal plant. A case study of the outage review data of a thermal power plant in Punjab has been done to single out vital few reasons of forced outages and feasibility of implementation of RCM has also been discussed.