Reliability–Centered Maintenance Using Reliability Parameters on Gas Compressors

1. Introduction

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is the process that is used to determine the most effective approach to maintenance. It involves identifying actions that, when taken, will reduce the probability of failure and which are the most cost effective. It integrates Preventive Maintenance (PM), Predictive, Corrective Maintenance (also called reactive maintenance), and Proactive Maintenance to increase the probability that a machine or component will function in the required manner over its design life cycle with a minimum amount of maintenance and downtime. These principal maintenance strategies, rather than being applied independently, are optimally integrated to take advantage of their respective strengths and maximize facility and equipment reliability while minimizing life-cycle costs. The goal of this approach is to reduce the Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) of a facility to a minimum while continuing to allow the facility to function as intended with required reliability and availability. (NASA, 2008).