European Master and Certification Program
in Risk Engineering and Management

XIII-C-R05: RCM&RCFA
Reliability Centered Maintenance and Root Cause Failure Analysis

Course code: 136474
Language of instruction: English
Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Aleksandar S. Jovanovic (Steinbeis EU-VRi GmbH), MSc Branislav Orlić (NIS Petroleum Industry of Serbia), Dr. Gopika Vinod (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), MA Svetozar Eremić (NIS Gasprom Neft Refinery Pancevo)
Assessment: Defined in the module

Short description

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) are methodologies used for logical decision-making process for analysis and definition of the equipment maintenance requirements, as well as for accident prevention. The focus of the course is on the damage mechanisms appearing in different industries. A large number of well elaborated examples is included.




Objectives

The course provides advanced knowledge on Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA). It explains why these two methodologies are commonly used for logical decision-making process for analysis and definition of the equipment maintenance requirements, as well as for accident prevention.

In the end of the course attendees will be able to answer following questions:

  • What are different maintenance strategies?
  • Which strategy is to be applied in which case?
  • What are trendable and what are non-trendable damage mechanisms?
  • What is RCM and what are benefits?
  • What is RC(F)A and what are general analysis techniques?
  • What are types of damage and their specifics mechanisms?
  • What are general damage mechanisms, what are damage mechanisms specific for refining industry?
  • How reliable are NDT techniques and what are influencing factors.



Target Attendees / Participants

The course is dedicated to:

  • professionals (engineers, managers, inspectors, legislators, …) who wish to deepen their knowledge in the field of risk based inspection
  • other professionals dealing with risk and safety in industry
  • individuals with no previous experience in the field of risk based inspection, but willing to extend their knowledge and take up new roles in this field within their companies
  • university students of Steinbeis European Master Program in Risk Engineering and Management, and similar programs.


Course Content by Units

Unit 1: Maintenance Strategies and Risk-Based approaches

  • Maintenance Strategy Review (MSR), general approach
  • Functional analysis, case studies. Criticality assessment and examples.
  • CEN CWA 15740:2008 Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Procedures for European Industry (RIMAP)
  • RIMAP Damage mechanisms – Application to risk assessment in industry. Mechanical and Metallurgical Failure Mechanisms.
Unit 2: General damage mechanisms – all industries
  • Uniform or Localized Loss of Thickness, High Temperature Corrosion.
  • Environment – Assisted Cracking. Examples.
  • Damage mechanisms in Thermal Power plants.
Unit 3: Refining industry damage mechanisms.
  • Uniform or Localized Loss in Thickness Phenomena.
  • Environment – Assisted Cracking.
  • Other mechanisms.
  • Refining industry damage mechanisms. Process units’ overview.
Unit 4: Damage mechanisms in high temperature components

Unit 5: Overview of NDT Reliability data analysis
  • Overview of NDT Reliability data analysis
  • POD(a) From Signal Response - Data analysis or POS analysis.
  • Sources of Generic POD Data
Unit 6: Introduction to the RCM and RC(F)A approaches
  • RCM methodology: function, functional failure, failure classification, failure mode and effect, failure characteristic analyses
  • RCM methodology: consequences, maintenance strategy selection, preventive tasks, proactive tasks
  • RC(F)A Methodology, link to RIMAP methodology
  • RCFA Principles. RCA examples.
Unit 7: Review of the main course issues and preparation for final exam

Unit 8: Final exam


Teaching Methods

The course includes:

  • introductory note explaining aim and structure of the course, and used methodology as well
  • ex cathedra lecturing illustrated by number of examples
  • review of main topics in the end of each lecturing unit
  • presentation of commonly used software tools and collective exercises



Literature

  1. Textbook:
    Reliability Centered Maintenance and Root Cause Failure Analysis, version 3, November 2009
  2. Transparencies, vesrion 3, November 2009
    • Failure and damage mechanisms and reliability of ageing industrial plants
    • Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Root Cause Failure Analysis
    • EU RBI Guide document CEN CWA 15740:2008 (Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Procedures for European Industry
    • Root Cause Analysis
  3. Certification material, version 4 October 2009
  4. Additional material
    • CWA 15740, April 2008: Risk-Based Inspection and Maintenance Procedure for European Industry (RIMAP)




For more information about the European Master and Certification Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Homepage.
For more information about the European Master Program in Risk Engineering and Management in general, go the Master Study page.
To see more courses in the curriculum, go to The curriculum page, or by date and topic go to the Calendar of Courses page.
Contact: via email sti889@risk-technologies.com or phone +49 711 1839 781 or +49 711 1839 647
(Course profile ID: XIII-C-R05:, generated on March 29, 2024)