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The RCM process identifies ways in which the system can fail then uses a Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) style approach to identify all the events, which are probabilistically likely, to cause each failed state, namely a Failure Mode.
Finally, the RCM process seeks to identify a suitable failure management policy for dealing with each failure mode in the light of its consequences and technical characteristics. Failure management policy options include:.
Predictive maintenance.
Preventive maintenance .
Failure-finding.
Design or configuration upgrades.
Alternative system operations.
The RCM process follows rules for deciding whether any failure management policy is technically appropriate. It also provides precise criteria for deciding how often routine tasks such as maintenance should be done.
1.2 Guiding standards to RCM.
RCM complies with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard JA1011: "evaluation criteria for RCM processes."".
The standard was published in August 1999. It is a brief document setting out criteria that any process must satisfy to be called RCM when it is applied to any particular asset or system.
Copies of this standard can be obtained from: International Society of Automotive Engineers Dept 3248 400 Commonwealth Drive Warren dale PA 15096-0001 United States of America.
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2.0 RCM Methodology.
RCM is a structured process, which is summarised in steps as indicated in Figures 2.2.1 & 2.5.1 and described in the sections below.
2.1 Calculating Targets.
The first step in the RCM procedure is to establish the systems reliability targets. This is generally achieved by analysing the system reliability performance from historic service records or if this data is unavailable or misrepresentative of the current system status then data can be interpreted from the service history of a similar system. The way in which reliability performance is measured can be done in a number of ways and the specifics are normally individual to the operating company, however the list below indicates some generic fields used to measure this reliability performance:.