Introduction

Maintenance is playing the imperative role in production plants and manufacturing facilities to
decrease costs, increase productivity, and to stay in the global competition. Several maintenance
methodologies have been developed a lot in last few decades. Among these methodologies,
RCM has been one of the latest technologies.

RCM methodology
RCM approach is based on the system functional failure analysis using features such as failure
modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and Fault tree analysis (FTA).
RCM process includes six main stages. The first and second stages are the selection of system
and identification of functionally significant item for the implementation of RCM. The third
stage is failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) of critical components, which helps to prevent
the critical failure causes. It follows with the criticality analysis with logic decision for optimal
maintenance strategy selection.
FMEA approach is used by most of the methods of risk assessment. There are majorly two types
of FMEA: process FMEA and design FMEA.
Design FMEA involves activities in designing, such as service, machine or product design.
Process FMEA deals with assessing the weaknesses in manufacturing process and the effects of
failure in process on the manufactured products. The most important goal of FMEA is to allot the
limited number of resources to the most critical and serious risk items.
Generally, process FMEA evaluates the risk priority number (RPN) to assess and rank the
potential failure modes. A failure mode which possess a higher RPN is more critical and is
assigned a higher priority rank than the failure modes with lower RPN.

RCM Methodology
Reliability Centered Maintenance methodology focused towards preserving equipment functionality and used to
selection of appropriate maintenance strategy for each equipment. The first step in analyzing a particular piece of
equipment is to identify the functionally significant items of a system which are used to identify functions and
potential functional failures. After that FMEA is used to evaluate the effect of functional failure and criticality
analysis for each FSI. Then, RCM logic decision has to be applied for each level of criticality for selection of
maintenance strategy.
Based on this concept RCM methodology can be divided into following six basic steps.

 System selection and data collection

 System division and identify the functionally significant item (FSI).
 FMEA.
 Criticality analysis.
 RCM logic decision.
 Selection of maintenance strategy.

Study of RCM Methodology on Conventional Turret Lathe Machine

1: Selecting system selection and data collection:

We have selected a turret lathe for this analysis. This machine has been extensively used for its
greater production rate, and its of access during work process.

2: System division and identify the FSI

The turret lathe machine can be decomposed into several subsystems based on identification of
FSI of RCM analysis before FMEA. Basically, lathe machine includes four major components
i.e., feed mechanism (including the feed motor, feed rod, lead screw, etc.), carriage (including
the tool post, cross slide, saddle, etc.), Head stock assembly (including the gear box, bearings,
belt drive, motor, chuck, etc.) & turret mounted for multiple tool holders. Based on working
structure of conventional turret lathe machine, the six functionally significant items i.e., electrical
motor, oil seals, gear box, turret mechanism, lead screw and belt drive were identified.

3: FMEA of the functionally significant items:

FMEA is one of the most efficient low-risk tools for prevention of problems and for identification of more effective
solutions. The FMEA chart of lathe machine components is shown in Table

4: Criticality analysis
Traditionally RPN is calculated by multiplication of S, O and D. The critical order is generally determined with the
RPN values. More the RPN value of a failure mode, more critical it would come up in the critical ranking list. The
drawback with determining of critical order just with the calculation of RPN is that sometimes more than one event
share the same RPN value and therefore this method fails to determine the critical ranking of events sharing the
same RPN values.
 Higher the mean RPN value, higher will be the critical ranking of that failure mode.
 Lesser the range, higher will be the critical ranking of that failure mode.

5: RCM logic decision and selection of maintenance strategy & Selection of maintenance strategy.
We have classified maintenance strategies into three categories, namely corrective maintenance (CM), preventive
maintenance (PM) and condition based maintenance (CBM).
Conclusion: