Describe the seven Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) Basic Questions giving practical example of each question.
1. What are its functions?
2. In what ways can it fail?
3. What causes it to fail? (failure mode)
4. What happens when it fails? (failure effect)
5. Does it matters if it fails? (failure consequences)
6. Can anything be done to prevent the failure? (proactive task)
7. What if we cannot prevent the failure?
Discuss the primary and secondary functions of an asset in relation to the performance standards of the RCM Process
An asset functionality can be defined in terms of two categories under the Operating Context in RCM: Primary and secondary functions
Primary functions: Why was the assets required? Looks at speed, output, storage, capacity, quality etc..
Secondary functions: To recognise what the assets is expected to do? These includes; safety, control, containment, efficiency of operation, structural integrity, economy protection etc
You may be asked to conduct RCM analysis – problem given.
Discuss the four imperative layers and the embedded factors that constitute the changing characteristics of maintenance management on the total life cycle asset optimization of an industrial plant. Illustrate your discussion using a diagram
From the pragmatic view, the key objective of maintenance management is “total life cycle asset optimisation”. The advancement of technology has made maintenance evolve from a non-issue to a more strategic concern. The diagram below illustrates layers of key issues relating to maintenance in context.
To cope with and to coordinate the changing characteristics that constitute maintenance in the first place is the management layer which is imperative. Management is about “what to decide” and “how to decide”.
Technology refers to the physical assets, which maintenance has to support with adequate equipment and tools. Operations indicate the combination of service maintenance interventions with core production activities. Finally the logistics element supports the maintenance activities planning, coordinating and ultimately delivering, resources like spare parts, personnel, tools and so forth.
Define the term Fault Tree Analysis, show the construction of the Fault Tree and how it translates to a reliability block diagram for a series system, parallel systems and series and parallel system.