Review RCM

A high percentage of preventive maintenance routines in many companies are non-value adding and often counter-productive.

They are typically based on manufacturers' recommendations and take no account of how the equipment is operated or its criticality. They are also largely time-based routines rather than condition-based. The approach uses RCM logic in reverse starting with the tasks.

RCM decision logic is applied to each preventive maintenance task to see if it is technically applicable and worth doing. If so, it is further checked to see if the task frequency is appropriate. Tasks that do not meet RCM decision logic criteria are amended or deleted.

Further checks are made for obvious omissions and to ensure, for example, that any safety features are properly maintained.

The characteristics of the plant and the quality of the preventive maintenance routines determine how the approach will be used. At one extreme it may be used as a 'quick fix' to get a more balanced PM regime before applying Fast-track RCM. By contrast, in a nuclear power environment it would be used as rigorously and with as full documentation as Classical RCM.

The main steps in Review RCM comprise:

  • PM tasks - list the current tasks
  • Failure modes - identify the failure mode with its root cause that each task is aiming to prevent
  • Failure characteristic - assess the failure pattern of each failure mode
  • Applicability and effectiveness - assess whether the task meets RCM task selection criteria for both technical applicability and worth doing
  • Task decision - accept, amend the task frequency, or delete the task
  • Omissions check - check for apparent omissions on safety systems, cleaning and lubrication, etc

A Review RCM project needs particular care at the initial planning stage when the approach is tailored to match the plant characteristics, the existing PM regime and the benefits sought.