RAM Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes a 'scheduled restoration task' in RCM?
- Replacing a component before its failure probability increases significantly
- Restoring an asset to its original condition at fixed intervals regardless of condition (Correct answer)
- Monitoring asset condition to schedule restoration at the optimal time
- Restoring an asset only after a functional failure has occurred
Correct answer: Restoring an asset to its original condition at fixed intervals regardless of condition
A scheduled restoration task involves restoring an asset or component to its original condition at fixed time intervals, regardless of current condition.
Question 2: What criterion must be met for a condition-based maintenance (on-condition) task to be applicable in RCM?
- The failure must be detectable by human senses alone
- There must be a clearly identifiable potential failure condition detectable before functional failure (Correct answer)
- The P-F interval must exceed one year
- The asset must have been in service for more than five years
Correct answer: There must be a clearly identifiable potential failure condition detectable before functional failure
An on-condition task is applicable when there is an identifiable potential failure condition (P-F interval) that allows intervention before the functional failure occurs.
Question 3: In RCM, what is the 'default action' when no proactive maintenance task is applicable or cost-effective?
- Increase inspection frequency
- Run-to-failure (no scheduled maintenance) (Correct answer)
- Replace the asset with a more reliable model
- Implement a manual workaround procedure
Correct answer: Run-to-failure (no scheduled maintenance)
When no applicable and effective proactive task exists, the RCM default action is run-to-failure (redesign or operate to failure), accepting the consequences.
Question 4: What is the P-F interval in RCM terminology?
- The time between planned maintenance and functional failure
- The time between a potential failure becoming detectable and functional failure occurring (Correct answer)
- The interval between preventive maintenance tasks
- The probability-frequency factor used in risk calculation
Correct answer: The time between a potential failure becoming detectable and functional failure occurring
The P-F interval is the time between when a potential failure becomes detectable (P) and when the functional failure (F) occurs, determining the window for condition monitoring.
Question 5: Which RCM task type is appropriate for addressing hidden failures, particularly in protective devices?
- Scheduled discard task
- Scheduled restoration task
- Failure-finding task (Correct answer)
- Condition monitoring task
Correct answer: Failure-finding task
Failure-finding tasks (also called functional checks) are specifically designed to detect hidden failures in protective devices by periodically testing their functionality.
Question 6: In an RCM analysis, the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is used to:
- Calculate the financial cost of each failure mode
- Identify failure modes and their effects on asset function and operation (Correct answer)
- Determine the optimal maintenance interval for each task
- Rank failure modes by frequency of occurrence only
Correct answer: Identify failure modes and their effects on asset function and operation
FMEA within RCM identifies all failure modes that can cause functional failures and analyzes their effects on asset function, operations, safety, and the environment.
Question 7: What is the key difference between RCM and traditional time-based preventive maintenance?
- RCM only applies to safety-critical equipment
- RCM selects maintenance tasks based on failure consequences and characteristics, not fixed intervals (Correct answer)
- RCM eliminates all scheduled maintenance in favor of condition monitoring
- RCM is exclusively used in the aviation industry
Correct answer: RCM selects maintenance tasks based on failure consequences and characteristics, not fixed intervals
RCM selects maintenance strategies based on failure modes, consequences, and the physical characteristics of failure, rather than applying uniform time-based intervals to all equipment.
RAM Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) 2
Which of the following best describes a 'scheduled restoration task' in RCM?