In order to maximize operational efficiency and achieve the best cost-effective solutions, our focus at the plant remains on Preventive Maintenance (PM). PM involves regular inspections to identify potential issues that could lead to breakdowns, production disruptions, or decreased functionality, along with taking proactive measures to address these issues early on. This includes both scheduled inspections and planned maintenance to address any deterioration identified during inspections. Our approach goes beyond simply identifying and reporting failures - we prioritize immediate repairs to minimize downtime, rather than waiting for a more convenient time to address the issue. While the balance between PM and corrective maintenance may vary, reducing downtime takes precedence over aligning with industry standard KPIs.
In my book, RCM2, I delve into the importance of maintenance and its role in managing business risks efficiently. I discuss the significance of Technical Integrity (TI), as highlighted by Josh, and its impact on Safety, Environment, and Public Perceptions. Additionally, I examine the connection between Profitability and factors such as Availability, Quality, and Productivity. By economically managing reliability, maintenance addresses these crucial aspects and ultimately contributes to the overall success of a business.
You have come to the right place! Find the article you seek: Time's Arrow. Discover the information you are searching for in this engaging piece.
- 29-07-2024
- Rebecca Murphy
Back in the 80's, I wish my Thermodynamics professor could have explained "thermo" with the same clarity as John Moubray!
Thank you to everyone for sharing your feedback. What are your thoughts on the following definition of maintenance? Maintenance is essential for preserving functional requirements, preventing premature failures, and mitigating the consequences of failure. We welcome your comments and feedback. Thank you and best regards.
"Our maintenance services are essential for preserving hardware reliability, which may deteriorate over time. By engaging in regular maintenance, we can effectively restore or uphold the original reliability of the equipment, resulting in cost savings in the long run." Enroll in NAVSEA RCM Level 2 Training to learn more about optimizing equipment performance and prolonging its lifespan.
- 30-07-2024
- Vanessa Carter
MotorDOC suggests that maintenance is necessary as hardware reliability often diminishes over time. However, there are cases where equipment fails randomly, unrelated to age. In such instances, a maintenance strategy may not be applicable. Thank you for your consideration.
RCM2, also known as Reliability-Centered Maintenance, plays a critical role in preventing failures and managing consequences in various maintenance strategies such as preventive restoration, preventive replacement, predictive, or detective maintenance. The primary goal of maintenance activities is to eliminate or reduce the consequences of failures that are deemed unacceptable, particularly those with safety or environmental implications. The level of risk associated with failures is a key factor in determining the severity of consequences, followed by cost-effectiveness considerations. Ultimately, maintenance is conducted to proactively manage consequences and minimize risks, rather than simply as a routine activity.
In RCM2 methodology, the timing of failures is more important than the cause. Failures are typically caused by various factors such as fouling, fatigue, creep, wear, corrosion, poor workmanship, or exceeding design limits. All failures have underlying causes, even though the timing of failure initiation may be unpredictable. The P-F curve is a useful tool to understand the rate of physical degradation, with the 'P' point indicating that failure has already begun. Predictive Maintenance aims to forecast the time-to-functional failure, or the 'F' point, after the initiation of the P-F curve. While the 'P' point may be unpredictable, the probability density curve provides insights into the statistical likelihood of failure at different time points. It does not disclose information about physical degradation but offers guidance on when maintenance should be performed.
- 30-07-2024
- Gregory Hughes
Risk management through maintenance is crucial in ensuring the reliability and safety of equipment. Different processes, such as RCM, FTA, and HAZOP, focus on managing either the probability of failure or its consequences. While RCM primarily addresses the consequences of failure, other processes like FTA and HAZOP aim at reducing the likelihood of failure. In some cases, like during a redesign task, the focus may shift towards managing the probability of failure even when using RCM. Ultimately, the goal is to maintain risk at a tolerably low level for optimal equipment performance and safety.
When it comes down to it, RCM2 is all about effectively managing the potential outcomes of failure and the likelihood of those outcomes occurring. This ties into the concept of cost effectiveness, where we must weigh the cost of failure and its consequences against the probability of it happening. Ultimately, the goal is to accurately predict, prevent, or eliminate failures in order to minimize costs over a specific period of time. In essence, decisions should be based on the consequences of failure rather than simply the failures themselves. This concept can be articulated in various ways, but the underlying message remains the same.
- 30-07-2024
- Jasmine Howard
Thank you all for your valuable feedback. Let's consider an example from our preventive maintenance (PM) program: we regularly change the oil for Pump X at set intervals to preempt bearing failures. Even though we have spare pumps to prevent any operational downtime, we prioritize proactive measures to avoid costly failures. On the other hand, for individual pumps, our focus is on predictive maintenance to monitor the bearing status. Despite the benefits of predictive maintenance, it does not fully eliminate the risk of failures. The key takeaway here is that predictive maintenance is geared towards mitigating failure repercussions, whereas preventive maintenance primarily aims to prevent failures altogether. Do you agree with this distinction?
- 30-07-2024
- Yvonne Mitchell
In a post by Vee, it is highlighted that failures are primarily caused by degradation factors such as fouling, fatigue, creep, wear, corrosion, and poor quality workmanship rather than random occurrences. The timing of failures may be unpredictable, but the causes are not. The P-F curve illustrates the rate of physical degradation, with failure already underway at the 'P' point. Predictive Maintenance aims to forecast the time to functional failure ('F' point) once the P-F curve has been initiated, but the 'P' point itself remains unpredictable. The probability density curve provides insight into the statistical likelihood of failure at any given time, guiding the timing of maintenance activities. However, in the case of electronic or instrumentation failures that seem to occur randomly, traditional maintenance approaches may not be directly applicable, necessitating the use of detective maintenance strategies as discussed in previous articles by Vee.
- 30-07-2024
- Shawn Thompson
Detective strategies in RCM2 are specifically designed to address hidden function failures within electronic instruments and panels. The visibility of failures in these devices can vary depending on their configuration and the presence of indicator lights or other monitoring tools. Common causes of failures include terminations, dust and moisture infiltration, voltage spikes, and the natural aging of components such as capacitors and transistors on circuit boards. The complexity of circuit boards means that failures are often distributed exponentially across the entire board. Designers may incorporate indicator lights or other warning systems to signal when a board has failed, as impending failures are typically undetectable. While testing is theoretically recommended for hidden failures, in reality, the most common approach is to simply replace the faulty board as preventative measures are not always cost-effective.
Thanks for the input, Vee. When it comes to maintenance scheduling, should I categorize our approach as part of preventive maintenance strategy, considering that we conduct detective maintenance on a timely basis? Reflecting on the issue of failures, it appears that everything experiences a degradation leading to a breakdown. This aligns with the concept of failure pattern "A", which emphasizes a predictable pattern of failures. However, it seems that you focus solely on this pattern and disregard the other five patterns that suggest failures occur randomly without a clear cause, such as what we observe in panels and electronic components. In such cases, the most suitable approach may be to run these components until they fail. Regards,
In response to your query about detective maintenance and preventive maintenance, it is important to understand that detective maintenance is focused on identifying failures after they have occurred, while preventive maintenance aims to prevent failures before they happen. While preventive maintenance is often time-based, not all time-based maintenance is necessarily preventive.
It is crucial to note that not all failures follow a specific pattern, such as pattern 'A'. In fact, failures can be categorized into three age-related patterns: 'A', 'B', and 'C'. However, other factors like fouling, fatigue, corrosion, and heat also contribute to degradation in items like light bulbs, transistors, and ball bearings. The degradation process may vary in terms of speed and predictability.
Regarding the concept of random failures in patterns 'D', 'E', and 'F', it is important to clarify that random failures do not mean failures without a cause. Instead, they refer to failures with unpredictable timing, even when the cause is known. Factors like the complexity of the item and unpredictable causes can contribute to random failures.
When considering strategies for items like panels and electronics, the decision to run to failure or implement a different maintenance approach should be based on the potential consequences of failure. Following the RCM logic diagram can help categorize items into the appropriate maintenance strategy, whether it be run to failure or redesign based on the visibility of failures.
Hey everyone, I want to discuss a controversial topic regarding the RCM logic diagram. There is a provision to designate run-to-failure for concealed failures with either operational or non-operational impacts. This decision should be made after evaluating the relevance and success of each preceding step in the process.
In accordance with the RCM logic diagram, there is the option to implement run-to-failure for latent failures with operational or non-operational impacts, after assessing the applicability and effectiveness of each preceding step. Daryl's observation is accurate. For further clarity, you can refer to this Logic Tree explanation. Click here for more information.
If you're interested in Moubray's "Time's Arrow" paper, I came across it online and thought you might like to read it. You can find it at http://www.mt-online.com/articles/0904moubray.cfm. Cheers!
Thank you, Daryl and Larry, for pointing that out. I may have gotten a bit carried away, but I appreciate your insights, as you are both correct.
I inquired about determining the FFT availability in your online workshop materials on the Maintenance Connection Forum, but it seems my question may have been overlooked.
Ensuring reliability through maintenance is key to optimizing asset performance. This, in turn, enhances capacity, availability, and cost control. As stated by Ricky Smith, CMRP, proper maintenance is crucial for sustaining asset value and operational efficiency.
Josh inquired about how to calculate the availability of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) during a web workshop presentation in the Maintenance Connection Forum. It seems there may have been a misunderstanding, as Vee did not address the question. It is crucial to provide specific questions for a better understanding, otherwise, a comprehensive response may turn into a lengthy book. Before seeking more information, it is recommended to read the article on Detective Maintenance on Reliabilityweb.com for clarity.