Reliability-centred Maintenance (RCM)

In addition to the disciplines required to provide clients with extensive capital project support, Lorien Engineering Solutions also provide a service to ensure that existing assets are maintained correctly for optimum performance.

Reliability Centred Maintenance is a tried and tested methodology with a distinguished pedigree originating in the exacting requirements of the aerospace industry. It has been used across many industries on more than 700 sites worldwide. Well over 30,000 people have been trained in the process.

Reliability Centred Maintenance provides an unparalleled opportunity for the assets of a business to be analysed by the people who know more than anyone about them…. Those responsible for maintaining the asset AND Those who use the asset, i.e. operations.

Reliability Centred Maintenance first considers the operating context of an asset. This is more often than not, unique to that asset. Logically, this uniqueness in turn demands a maintenance regime that is also specific to that asset. Clearly this brings into question the validity of manufacturer's recommended schedules. Any maintenance schedule must take into account usage frequency as well material types processed, to name but two variables of many!

Reliability Centred Maintenance analysis then goes on to consider the following seven questions:
  • What are the functions of an asset?
  • In what ways can those functions fail?
  • What are the root causes of the failures?
  • What are the effects of the failures?
  • What are the failure consequences - does it matter?
  • What can be done to avoid the consequences?
  • What action is required if nothing can be done to avoid the consequences?
Reliability Centred Maintenance outputs are lasting and durable, and include:
  • Maintenance tasks which are technically appropriate and are at technically appropriate intervals.
  • One-off changes to operating procedures
  • One-off design change recommendations with appropriate justifications
  • Cost effective maintenance
  • A high level of co-operation between production and maintenance functions which in turn build
  • Enhanced shop floor motivation and team working attitudes.
These outputs ensure:
  • Safety and environmental compliance is maximised
  • Performance standards are identified and understood
  • Quality issues are addressed.
Reliability Centred Maintenance is applied by operators and maintainers along with anyone else having a vested interest in the care of an asset, who have been trained. The high quality training provided by Lorien Engineering Solutions is at two levels:
  • Basic three day education for review group participants.
  • Further in depth facilitator training for those managing the review groups.
Lorien Engineering Solutions also provide on going mentoring support to the facilitators to ensure confident implementation of the process. Sometimes, a business may consider that it cannot resource the facilitator role in the short term. If this is the case, then Lorien Engineering Solutions can provide contract facilitation, although we would normally recommend that the valuable knowledge gained by the facilitator should be retained in-house.

Lorien Engineering Solutions consultants are licensed by Aladon Ltd to provide businesses with training and support in the most extensively used Reliability Centred Maintenance system known as RCM2.

More information about RCM2 can be obtained by contacting the ALADON web site on http://www.aladon.co.uk