Question 1:
(a) Many organizations consider the maintenance function as a significant operational and decision making area which can guarantee plant accessibility and dependability. A Cost Effective Maintenance program ensures longer plant life span and promotes safe working environment for all stakeholders. Discuss and illustrate out the main phases in the setting up a maintenance program in the organization.
(b) Many practitioners agree which maintenance activities involve risks since the number of defects comprising equipment malfunction, explosion and fire originate throughout such activity. Briefly illustrate out key success factors in prevention of risks throughout maintenance operations.
Question 2:
(a) The prevailing business environment is incessantly changing with respect to the emerging complexities in development and use of new equipment, infrastructures and technologies. The maintenance functions are faced with various challenges and practitioners are increasingly adopting Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) to maintain the requirements of machinery in defined operating context.
i. Illustrate out the Reliability Centred Maintenance approach
ii. Briefly illustrate out the underlying principles
iii. Illustrate out the process related FMEA
(b) Discuss and explain the following maintenance practices: Predictive Maintenance and Reliability-driven Maintenance. Clearly point out the different tools and methods which could be applied to above maintenance practices.
(c) Given that the reliability model for the boiler can be viewed as the combination of series and parallel blocks, calculate the reliability of entire system.
Question 3:
(a) The Bath-Tub curve is a significant tool for understanding the reliability of engineering elements in many dissimilar applications. It is viewed as a hazard function which elucidates the variation of failure rate of components during their life time. Explain the phases of the Bath-Tub curve.
(b) Reliability Centred Maintenance is one of the strategies used for failure management and is related to condition of equipment. This strategy relies on the capability of maintenance personnel to detect potential failures in advance in order to take appropriate actions. A common curve that illustrates the behaviour of equipment as it approaches failure is P-F curve. Illustrate out with the aid of a diagram on the use of a P-F curve to enhance condition of equipment and safety in the work environment.