A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO RELIABILITY-CENTERED MAINTENANCE

Abstract

A maintenance philosophy is a strategy of how to best integrate maintenance and repair efforts for a system while ensuring that operational requirements are met. Through the incorporation of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), it is possible to observe, test, and inspect operating equipment to determine an optimal timeframe for completing this work. This research introduces RCM and develops a five-step methodology, founded in systems engineering principles, to capitalize on how to best implement, and continuously improve, a maintenance philosophy. A specific example cited throughout the research is the applicability of this process to the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest cutter fleet: the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). Through a decomposition of stakeholder requirements and identification of specific measures of suitability (MOS), operating equipment data is analyzed and a subsequent recommendation for a philosophy is presented. The process, while iterative, is tailorable to any system and is recommended as an initial tool for developing a support strategy with regard to maintenance.