Modeling Maintenance Benefits

Abstract

Mojan and Fred discuss how to integrate service plans into reliability target planning. They explore the shift from “worst-case” maintenance schedules to data-driven strategies, highlighting how predictable failure mechanisms and telemetry allow teams to take credit for high availability in their reliability models.

Key Points

Join Mojan and Fred as they discuss the critical intersection of maintenance activity, failure mechanisms, and system availability.

Topics include:

Maintenance Misalignment: Service plans based on “worst-case” scenarios often lead to premature maintenance. Reliability planning should be driven by specific, predictable failure mechanisms, not just generic usage estimates.
Service vs. Strategy: Just because you can perform maintenance doesn’t mean you should.
Adaptive Modeling: Models must account for location-specific stressors like dust or corrosion. A “one-size-fits-all” service plan rarely reflects the reality of the environment.
High-Availability Tactics: For critical systems, the goal is often rapid detection and “hot swaps” rather than total failure prevention. This allows for near-continuous uptime.
Predictive Telemetry: Modern tools like using sensors for temperature or vibration changes allow for condition-based replacement. However, these capabilities must be designed into the product early; “bolting on” telemetry after the design is frozen is rarely effective.

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.