Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)
On this page we have further information about the RCM process including:
- An overview of the RCM process
- RCM Certification
- Why RCM? – Why RCM is the best process to improve the reliability and cost effectiveness of your asset or process
RCM Process Overview
The SAE JA1011 standard on RCM defines it as:
A specific process to identify the policies which must be implemented to manage the failure modes which could cause the functional failure of any physical asset in a given operational context
It consists of the following steps:
a. Determine the operational context and the functions and associated desired standards of performance of the asset (operational context and functions).
b. Determine how an asset can fail to fulfill its functions (functional failures).
c. Determine the causes of each functional failure (failure modes).
d. Determine what happens when each failure occurs (failure effects).
e. Classify the consequences of failure (failure consequences).
f. Determine what should be performed to predict or prevent each failure (tasks and task intervals).
g. Determine if other failure management strategies may be more effective (one-time changes)
RCM Certification
RCM is defined by international standards written by major standards authorities. The first standard to be produced was SAE JA1011. This was followed by SAEJA1012, which is a guide to the application of JA1011. The RCM process used by Reliability Management fully complies with these SAE standards.
It is possible to gain certification of your knowledge and competence against the requirements of these standards. The organisation providing this certification is the International RCM Certification Committee (IRCC). The significance of these certifications is that they certify competence – what you know and what you have achieved. Many other organisations might give you a certificate for attending a training course ie a certificate of attendance. This is something completely different!
Two levels of certification are available; Level 1 (L1), which certifies competence as an RCM Team member (the information taught in the Introductory Course), and Level 2 (L2) which certifies competence as an RCM Facilitator.
Why RCM is the best process to improve Reliability
If you’ve got a problem with the reliability of an asset or process – and reliability encompasses safety, environmental integrity, product quality, availability, costs, customer service and efficiency – then RCM is probably the best technique you can use to identify improvements. Here are 14 reasons why:
- Robust methodology developed in the most demanding reliability & maintenance environment of all
- Proven by decades of extensive and universal application
- Combines the technical and financial points of view in the decision-making
- Considers risks in the decision-making
- Considers all maintenance strategies (Preventive, Failure-Finding, Condition-based and run-to-failure)
- Provides the technical basis for maintenance task intervals
- Requires appropriate detail and information to make the decisions that matter
- Captures the knowledge and experience of people that know the asset best
- Provides an audit trail which facilitates continuous improvement of asset reliability and allows objective engagement with insurers, regulators, safety bodies and manufacturers
- Takes into account the different operating context of assets
- Improves safety by removing non-value-adding and counterproductive activity
- Eliminates inappropriate maintenance based simply on time-based ideas, and provides the framework for challenging and reviewing manufacturers maintenance recommendations
- Defined by standards written by major international standards authorities e.g. SAE, IEC
- Incorporation of RCM principles in PAS55 and ISO 55000/1/2 international standards on asset management
- Defined by standards in industries that have their own specific standards e.g. Civil aviation, the military
In short, RCM is the most comprehensive and most widely used technique for developing maintenance programmes and ensuring reliable operation of physical assets. It is used extensively in high risk and cost sensitive industries worldwide.