USCGC Healy (WAGB 20)--A Case Study for Implementing

© Marine Technology, Vol. 37, No. 1, Winter 2000, pp. 50-56
<1,1>
USCGC Healy (WAGB 20)--A Case Study for Implementing
Reliability-Centered Maintenance
W i l l i a m J. R e i c k s , Jr., 1 R i c h a r d Burt, 2 J o h n P. M a z u r a n a , 3 and R u s s e l l J. S t e i n l e 3
In new ship construction, maintenance planning affords both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand,
a new ship class enables maintenance planners to start with a clean slate and consider improved and more
cost-effective maintenance methods. On the other hand, new manning concepts, lack of timely technical
information when maintenance planning is conducted in parallel with detail design, use of equipment new
to the fleet, and the like impose a measure of uncertainty on the planning process. In this paper, we review
why and how Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) techniques were applied to the new Polar icebreaker U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (CGC) Healy (frontispiece). We review how we incorporated conditionbased maintenance techniques where appropriate. We discuss the decision process used for fine-tuning
the Maintenance Procedure Cards (MPC) for CGC Healy's hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) Preventive Maintenance Manual Finally, we share some lessons learned in the process.
Lieutenant commander, U.S. Coast Guard and technical agent at
the SUPSHIP New Orleans Program Manager's Representative Ofrice, Avondale Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana.
2 Lieutenant commander, U.S. Coast Guard and logistics director
for the Joint NAVSEA/Coast Guard Program Manager's Office.
3 Senior project engineer and WAGB 20 program manager, respectively, John J. McMullen Associates.
Manuscript received at SNAME headquarters February 1999.
The views expressed herein are the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the U.S.
Coast Guard.
50
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
Introduction
THE U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy's primary mission is to
serve as a world-class, high-latitude research platform. Deployments will support a wide range of science and engineering disciplines, including marine geology; physical, chemical,
and biological oceanography; meteorology, naval architecture, and marine engineering.
CGC Healy will be used in icebreaking operations during
any season in the Arctic and Antarctic. All ship systems are
designed to function during extended winter operations in
0025-33161200013701-0050500.39/0
MARINE TECHNOLOGY
Table 1
USCGC
Healy--principal characteristics
420.0 ft
82.0 ft
29.24 ft at
16,400LT
Length, Overall
Beam, Maximum
Draft, Full Load
Displacement, Full Load
Propulsion
Main Engines
Main Generators
Main Motors
Shaft Horsepower
Propellers
AuxiliaryGenerator
Bow Thruster
Fuel Capacity
Speed
Endurance
lcebreaking Capability
Conning Stations
Accommodations
Science Labs
Diesel Electric
AC Cycloconverter
4 Sulzer 12ZAV40S
4 Westinghouse7200 kW,
6600V, 60 Hz, 3PH, 0.7PF
2 GEC AC Synchronous
11.2 MW
30,000 hp at 130 rpm
2 Bird Johnson Fixed Pitch,
4 Bladed
EMD 16-645F7B2400 kW
450V, 60 Hz, 3PH, 0.8PF
OmnithrusterJT 2200
2200 hp
3,071 LT
17 kts at 147 rpm
16,000 NM at 12.5 kts
4.5 fl at 3 kts continuous
Up to 8 ft ramming
3
Integrated.Bridge DNV W1
12 Officers, 10 CPO,
53 enlisted, 35 Scientists,
15 Surge,2 Visitors
Main, Wet, Biochemical,
Electronics, Photography,
Meteorological
these areas, including intentional wintering over. Missions
may include serving as a science platform or ice escort to
supply vessels, transporting cargo and passengers, and supporting Antarctic Treaty inspection teams.
The ship's principal characteristics are listed in Table 1.
Why
apply
RCM?
CGC Healy is quite different from the USCG POLAR class
icebreakers (WAGB 10 and 11) commissioned in the mid1970s. This new design includes a considerable amount of
commercial off-the-shelf and foreign-made equipment new to
the Coast Guard, and so stimulated the search for an equally
new and cost-effective approach to her preventive maintenance.
In addition, Healy will have a crew size of only 75, slightly
more than h a l f the POLAR class crew complement. Accordingly, crew maintenance during ship deployments was to be
limited to emergency repairs and quarterly and more frequent preventive maintenance. But a preliminary m an n i n g
study showed that a crew of this size could not complete all
the intended maintenance tasks in the traditional manner.
Rather than take the risk of deferring unaccomplished maintenance until return to port, the focus was put on reducing
crew maintenance workload while still maintaining a high
level of readiness. RCM is a disciplined technique for developing maintenance programs that minimize maintenance labor and costs, and was seen as a viable method to reduce crew
workload.
CGC Healy's missions may include unescorted, extended
deployments in the harsh environments at the North and
South Poles, requiring highly reliable ship systems and an
operational availability of at least 90%. To help meet such
operational challenges, the expanded use of equipment condition monitoring would better reveal the state of the machinery plant, aid underway troubleshooting, and enable the
operators to make better-informed decisions about where to
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
apply limited maintenance resources. Automatic data collection would also aid the development of operational reliability
databases for new equipment types.
Condition
monitoring
CGC
systems
considered
for
Healy
Once the decision was made to develop a maintenance plan
for the Healy based on RCM principles, we explored alternatives to traditional time-directed maintenance. One of the
most significant alternatives was condition monitoring. We
reviewed available condition monitoring technologies to determine how they could be used for the Healy. It was critical
to establish which technologies we could use before the RCM
analysis, so the analysts could be trained accordingly.
Vibration
monitoring
Before this RCM p l a n n i n g effort, the g r o u n d w o r k for
condition monitoring had already been laid by the Coast
Guard project office. During the early phase of the detail
design, requirements were added to the ship specifications to
incorporate a vibration monitoring system, which is the cornerstone of any condition monitoring system for rotating machinery. This was confirmed by an informal survey of commercial ship operators, which revealed that 46% of those
contacted use vibration monitoring as a routine part of their
machinery preventive maintenance program.
Prior Coast Guard efforts to establish a vibration monitoring program had mixed results, due largely to the lack of
expert diagnostics onboard, inability to train crew members
to be experts, and a lack of acceptance by the crew. To overcome these difficulties, it was decided that vibration monitoring on the Healy would be performed by the crew using
easier to interpret expert software. This would allow the
monitoring system to be used for both routine condition
monitoring and for diagnostic troubleshooting. Vibration
training for the operators would also be given high priority.
In addition, a number of key decision-makers were briefed on
the merits of vibration monitoring at industry seminars.
These approaches facilitated acceptance of this technology.
We also considered w h et h er vibration monitoring should
be performed continuously or by portable sampling equipment. For key capital equipment such as the main propulsion
generators and motors, a dedicated system providing realtime feedback of possible machinery problems was selected.
For most of the remaining rotating machinery, a portable
vibration monitoring system was considered the most costeffective approach.
Another important consideration for implementing vibration monitoring is to ensure that a baseline vibration survey
is conducted on all significant machinery during ship trials.
This survey would not only validate that the equipment was
properly installed and balanced, but would also establish a
benchmark for comparing future vibration data for equipment.
Oil analysis
Oil analysis is another i m p o r t an t condition monitoring
technology considered for the Healy since onboard machinery
systems include medium-speed diesel engines, starting and
ship service air compressors, hydraulic systems using two
types of hydraulic fluid, and oil-filled electrical transformers.
Our informal survey of commercial marine operators revealed that 69% use some form of oil analysis. The Military
Sealift Command has successfully used oil analysis as a
means of extending oil change intervals and tear-down intervals for equipment inspections [1].
MARINE TECHNOLOGY
51
The Coast Guard has long used oil analysis by sending
samples to a laboratory ashore [2]. Given the unique mission
of the icebreaker and her extended deployments to remote
areas, a shipboard oil analysis system was sought to complement the existing program and to provide valuable real-time
feedback. In some cases, oil analysis may identify a problem
before vibration analysis. Immediate feedback would give the
crew advance warning that a problem may be developing.
Other complementary diagnostic tests could be performed to
confirm the oil analysis diagnosis.
In selecting suitable oil analysis equipment, we emphasized identifying an integrated system, including expert software to detect oil contamination, oil chemistry changes, and
viscosity changes. We wanted a system that could detect contamination of the oil by ferrous and nonferrous wear particles, by water, and by glycol. We felt that the system should
also detect oil chemistry changes such as oxidation, sulfaction, and nitration.
We decided on a sampling approach using bench-top testing. This would minimize cross-contamination risks. Ease of
use of both the equipment and software was seen as critical
for crew acceptance. The system should perform the test
quickly, and automatically store and trend the data. Oil
analysis results should be easy to understand.
Infrared thermography
Infrared (IR) thermography was the next technology considered. Coast Guard shore-based m a i n t e n a n c e personnel
have routinely used IR thermography for electrical inspections. Like vibration and oil condition monitoring, we wanted
IR thermography to be an onboard system. For CGC Healy's
integrated electric ship propulsion and ship service power
systems, designed to operate in high vibration environments
during icebreaking, detecting loose electrical connections and
other hot spots will be critical. Also, avoiding routine tightening of all electrical bus joints and terminal connections will
result in substantial time savings and will avoid new problems when routine maintenance is performed. Benefits of IR
thermography are not limited to electrical applications. IR
thermography can be used to detect mechanical hot spots
such as hot bearings and deteriorating insulation. Again, the
diagnostic value of the equipment is viewed as being as important as its condition monitoring value. Furthermore, IR
thermography can be used to cross-check vibration diagnostics.
Technical considerations for selecting IR thermographic
equipment include a focal plane array design, a noncryogenically cooled unit, radiometric capability, durable design, and
low maintenance. In recent years, IR camera technology has
improved considerably, and increasingly affordable systems
are now commercially available.
As a first step, several members of the pre-commissioning
crew, the Coast Guard project office site team, and electrical
systems experts were given IR Thermographic Certification
Training. Since an IR thermographic survey is a shipbuilder
requirement, having Coast Guard team members skilled in
this technology will also be beneficial during the ship's quality assurance testing.
Since the Healy's main electrical power generation and
high-voltage distribution system operates at 6600V, safety is
considered extremely important. Since IR surveys need to be
conducted with the equipment energized to observe loose connections and hot spots, guidelines for safe use of the IR thermographic equipment are being developed.
Electrical meggering
The Coast Guard's preventive maintenance practices of
meggering electrical equipment to determine insulation con52
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
dition are similar to the U.S. Navy's, except that the Coast
Guard appeared to perform this task much more frequently.
Test results can vary dramatically depending on environmental conditions so the usefulness of this procedure is questionable. Due to this consideration and to reduce crew maintenance requirements, we sought to decrease the frequency of
electrical meggering.
The possibility of using an automated meggering system on
larger equipment was explored. This would not only reduce
the crew workload but also improve the likelihood of obtaining more consistent results. Under normalized testing conditions, such as when the equipment has j u s t been shut down,
the warm temperatures will minimize the effect of moisture
on test results.
Performance testing
Performance testing of pumps and heat exchangers is also
being considered for condition monitoring of these equipment
types. Pump performance tests will measure pressure versus
flow against initial baseline data. We also plan to measure
heat exchanger fouling based on temperature and flow data.
Strap-on ultrasonic flow meters could be used to supplement
permanently installed pressure and temperature instrumentation.
Diesel engine monitoring
Perhaps the greatest challenge has been condition monitoring for the main and auxiliary diesel engines. The diesel
engines constitute a significant portion of the total preventive maintenance for machinery. Furthermore, most diesel
engine preventive maintenance traditionally has been timedirected. Any improvements in this area could result in substantial time and cost savings. Furthermore, with a limited
crew size and a commercial diesel engine that is new to the
Coast Guard inventory, there was concern about how best to
approach this preventive maintenance. The mission requirements and likelihood of long deployments into inaccessible
areas necessitated focusing on providing the crew with the
best tools possible to ensure that they could handle unexpected problems.
As a minimum, we plan to use cylinder firing pressure
measurements as key indicators of engine performance. We
are also considering measuring and trending fuel efficiency
at repeatable engine power settings. Additional shipboard
i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n will be required to implement this basic engine monitoring.
Serious consideration was given to incorporating an expert
system for the diesel engines. We examined both rule-based
and neural network system approaches. Given the cost of
providing these systems, which includes developing expert
rules for each engine type, we decided to defer implementing
any expert system.
Visual inspections
As long as they do not require significant tear-down or
interference with equipment operation, visual inspections
are also a valid condition monitoring approach. In many instances, visual inspections remain the most cost-effective approach available.
With these condition monitoring tools at our disposal, we
could begin the RCM analysis process.
H o w RCM a n a l y s e s w e r e p e r f o r m e d
Since the RCM analysis was performed in parallel with the
ship's detail design, complete technical documentation for
much of the equipment was unavailable. To overcome this,
MARINE TECHNOLOGY
Table 2
SWBS
233
235
235
235
235
235
243
244
256
HM&E systems analyzed using RCM
SYSTEM
MainDiesel Engines
Cycloconverter
CycloconverterTransformers
MainGenerator
MainMotor
HighVoltageSwitchboard
MainPropulsion Shafting
PropulsionShaft BearingAnd Seals
MainSeawater
256
Auxiliary Seawater
259
262
262
CombustionAir And Exhaust
MainDieselEngineLube Oil
MainMotor, Thrust, & Line Shaft Bearing Lube
TRADITIONAL
,'
,/
/
/
,
//
...
<4,1>
/~-"
/
/
../
/"
//"
//
•
/
/
/
,//
./-'"
.~
"DAILY
BWEEKLY
RCM
n MONTHLY
{3 QUARTERLY
Oil
262
310
3 l0
314
314
320
324
512
516
517
521
529
531
532
533
541
541
542
551
555
556
561
568
573
573
591
593
593
593
LubeOil Fill,Transfer, And Purification
Aux Generator(Generator)
Aux Generator (Diesel Engine)
MotorGenerator Sets
ShipServiceTransformers
MotorControllers
Low VoltageSwitchboard
Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning
RefrigerationPlants And Equipment
SteamAnd Condensate
SeawaterService(Firemain)
DrainageAnd Ballasting
Distilling Plant
Main Diesel Engine Fresh Water(Jacket Water
And Injector)Cooling
Hot And Cold Potable Water And Bromination
Fuel Fill And Transfer
FuelService
GasolineAnd JP-5
ShipServiceAnd ControlAir
Firefighting
HydraulicSystems
SteeringGear
ManeuveringThruster
KnuckleBoomCranes
Telescoping Cranes
Science Winches
OilyBilge Collection And Transfer
OilyWater, Waste Oil Waste Water Collection
!
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
NO. OF PEOPLE (PERCENT)
Fig. 1 Comparison of RCM and trad,tional preventive maintenance
maintenance recommendations. This documentation is essential for others to understand and accept the results of the
analysis, and to facilitate future revisions t h a t incorporate
design changes or operational experience.
Only at this point did the analysts compare their preliminary maintenance recommendations with the maintenance
procedure cards for similar equipment on the POLAR class
icebreakers. This "sanity check" served to ensure that no important failure modes were overlooked, and made the analysts reconsider w h et h er their recommendations were truly
appropriate for the failure mode, maintenance frequency,
and cost.
The preliminary RCM analysis was then validated by an
independent contractor with considerable logistics analysis
experience. This review consisted of a thorough analysis of
six selected systems typical of the entire HM&E population•
While offering some useful maintenance suggestions, this
check revealed no systematic or significant errors in the
original RCM analyses.
PlumbingInt. Deck Drains And Sewage
Results
the analyses were conducted by system technical experts who
substituted their experience with similar equipment for detailed documentation on the Healy systems. For most systerns, these experts developed comprehensive analyses using
system diagrams and vendor catalogs, and by some consultation with the major equipment manufacturers.
The analysts were provided with guidelines summarizing
potential condition monitoring technologies and standardized times for estimating labor hours required to perform the
task. In addition, the analysts participated in discussions
with potential condition monitoring equipment vendors to
become more familiar with the technologies available and
how they should be applied.
The scope of the analysis included the major hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) systems listed in Table 2. For
each system, we applied the methodology in Smith [3], but
a b b r e v i a t e d the process to meet cost and schedule constraints. Since the analysis was conducted by experts very
familiar with the design and operation of each system, eraphasis was placed on the development of comprehensive failure modes and effects analyses, followed by careful selection
of the most cost-effective maintenance procedures. The methodology was not abbreviated, however, in the thorough docum e n t a t i o n of the decision-making process leading to the
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
of RCM
analyses
Once the 42 major HM&E systems were analyzed and
maintenance procedures were selected for comparison with
corresponding traditional procedures from the POLAR Class
Icebreaker Preventive Maintenance Manual, we consolidated
the information in an RCM database. This allowed us to easily sort the data using different criteria. To determine the
overall preventive maintenance workload, we added the required crew m a i n t e n a n c e to be performed daily, weekly,
monthly, and quarterly, and compared the annualized hours
for the Healy against the traditional estimate. For quarterly
and more frequent maintenance, Fig. 1 shows that our RCM
approach reduced the crew preventive maintenance workload by approximately 51%. For all maintenance frequencies,
the RCM approach reduces the overall (crew and shorebasedl preventive maintenance workload by 49%.
When substituting condition monitoring tasks for traditional time-directed tasks, it is important to recognize t h a t
eventually condition monitoring will detect the need to repair
or replace the equipment• Accordingly, the labor required for
this effort will reduce the overall benefit of condition monitoting compared to time-directed tasks. We at t em p t e d to
compensate for some of this reduced benefit by including labor hours for replacing consumables such as filters. A more
accurate estimate of the true benefit of condition monitoring
MARINE TECHNOLOGY
53
Other CM
Electrical Test
10%
IR Scan
1%
3%
<5,1>
Visual Inspection
67%
Performance
Monitoring
9%
Oil Testing
2%
Vibration
Monitoring
8%
Fig. 2 Condition monitoring task breakdown (by % annual hours)
will require operational data on how the intervals between
overhauls are extended by condition-based maintenance.
Sorting the data by type of maintenance (time-directed,
condition-directed, fault-finding, or run-to-fail) and again
comparing it with traditional approaches showed a similar
distribution of maintenance types between the RCM and traditional approaches. For both approaches, time-directed
maintenance is about 46%, condition-directed maintenance is
about 49%, and fault finding is about 5% of the total. This
similar mix of the two approaches resulted from incorporating new condition-based m a i n t e n a n c e techniques on the
Healy such as vibration monitoring, onboard oil testing, IR
thermography, and performance testing, while reducing visual inspections and electrical meggering. Nonetheless, the
breakdown of condition-directed maintenance for the Healy
(Fig. 2) shows that looking, touching, and listening (visual
inspection) still accounts for the greatest portion of the total
because it frequently remains the most cost-effective method
for determining equipment condition. While vibration monitoring, oil analysis, and IR scanning are powerful monitoring
tools, as Fig. 2 shows, these technologies are not very timeintensive. This means that for a nominal labor investment,
significant improvements in equipment condition assessment can be achieved.
A breakdown of time-directed tasks for our RCM approach
is shown in Fig. 3. The workload has been shown by functional area to illustrate which ship systems require the greatest labor. In addition, the generic task of sensor calibration
has been shown separately. Sensor calibration is a timeconsuming task currently being reexamined to reduce it to
the absolute minimum. The steam and condensate system
requires daily boiler blowdowns and periodic cleaning of uptakes. The firefighting system still requires a significant effort to visually inspect hose stations weekly. This task is also
being reevaluated for less frequent visual checking.
Finally, we compared the differences is annualized maintenance hours for the RCM and traditional approaches. We
sorted the data to identify where RCM promises the greatest
benefits, and also where condition monitoring results in additional maintenance effort.
One of the greatest benefits of RCM is in the water sampling area. Once we quantified the burden of taking daily
water samples to check boiler feedwater chemistry and potable water quality, we explored the feasibility of automating
the water testing using on-line analyzers. Automated water
sampling promises to save over 720 maintenance hours a
year. The extensive i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n provided for machinery
plant automation on the Healy also permitted us to safely
reduce daily routine piping leak inspections on the cyclocon54
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
verter deionized water system to a m o n t h l y check. This
amounts to an additional a n n u a l savings of over 700 maintenance hours.
Other significant maintenance savings were achieved by
reducing excessive maintenance practices. Consistent with
the manufacturers' recommendations and Navy practice for
large electrical motors, we recommended reductions in megger testing on the main motor and generators from weekly to
quarterly. This will save over 370 hours annually. Consistent
with Navy practice, we also reduced firefighting hose station
cleaning and lubrication (a separate task from weekly inspections) from monthly to quarterly. This saves over 1000 hours
annually.
A n n u a l performance testing of the steering gear hydraulic
pumps was recommended to replace daily checks for this
equipment, saving over 170 hours annually. Similarly, we
substituted s e m i a n n u a l heat exchanger performance testing
for routine s e m i a n n u a l cleaning, saving over 448 hours annually.
All the savings described above are reflected in Figs. 2
and 3.
Incorporating
RCM
on board
Although we were encouraged by the results of our RCM
analysis, we still faced several challenges. We needed to convince our project team members, including program management, that RCM could substantially benefit the Healy. Also,
the Coast Guard logistics community that would be respons i n e for m a i n t a i n i n g the Healy needed to buy into our approach and findings.
To convince our program management, we not only explained the approach to the RCM analysis and presented the
findings, but included an RCM training element to ensure
that personnel had an accurate u n d e r s t a n d i n g of RCM history, philosophy, and terminology, as well as how the various
condition monitoring technologies could be applied. We then
made similar presentations to the Coast Guard Chief of Navel Engineering and his senior advisory staff.
In response to reductions in Coast Guard m a i n t e n a n c e
budgets, Coast Guard Naval Engineering was examining
similar issues across the Coast Guard fleet. Due in part to the
success of the RCM analysis of the Healy, RCM analysis of
existing maintenance procedures on all Coast Guard ships
was u n d e r t a k e n through the new PMS 2000 initiative to
eliminate ineffective and excessive preventive maintenance
practices.
To assist in translating our RCM findings into the Healy
MARINE TECHNOLOGY
Main Diesels
12%
Other
13%
Aux. Diesel
5%
HVAC
8%
<6,1>
Sensor Calibration
21%
I~refighting
26%
Fig. 3
Time directed task breakdown (by % annual hours)
maintenance procedures manual, a Maintenance Procedures
Card (MPC) Development Team was chartered. Careful attention was paid to ensuring significant participation by all
potential stakeholders in the Healy maintenance. The team
included members from Coast Guard Headquarters, CGC
HeaIy Program Management (PMS 373), the technical team
from the Program Manager's Representative Office at the
shipyard, Coast Guard E n g i n e e r i n g Logistics Command,
Maintenance Logistics Command Atlantic, Maintenance Logistics Command Pacific, Naval Engineering Support Unit
(NESU) Seattle (the command responsible for augmenting
icebreaker HM&E support), and engineering and logistics
support contractors. The group's objective was to develop the
MPCs for the Healy' s HM&E Preventive Maintenance System
(PMS) Manual. The group was empowered to challenge conventional maintenance practices, and encouraged to take appropriate, calculated risks.
The first step was to give the MPC Development Team
RCM training to ensure that all members understood RCM
principles, how RCM analysis was conducted, and the condition monitoring techniques available to reduce traditional
time-directed maintenance levels.
Concurrently, the shipbuilder was developing MPCs for
the Healy. Fortunately, the shipbuilder also believed that
the RCM approach had merit. The shipbuilder's effort considered existing Coast Guard and Navy PMS cards and the
recommendations of the original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs). He applied an RCM logic process to determine which
maintenance procedures would be recommended. Background
data such as excerpts from equipment technical manuals were
also provided.
Prior to each MPC Development Team meeting, a readahead package for each system was prepared. This package
included the shipbuilder's MPCs and background data, the
RCM analysis, and a s u m m a r y of the similarities of and differences between the RCM and traditional approaches. This
provided members with an opportunity to carefully review
and consider alternate m a i n t e n a n c e strategies before the
meeting. At the meetings, the team not only considered the
MPCs proposed by the Coast Guard RCM effort and shipbuilder, but also allowed team members to contribute MPCs
based on their own experience and perspective.
This ongoing process has been a satisfying experience for
all team members, because producing MPCs based upon consensus results in a better overall product that incorporates
m a n y points of view and experiences.
The MPC Development Team was not the only initiative to
assist in preparing Healy for her first deployment. A second
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
Steam &
Condensate
15%
initiative was the implementation of a new m a i n t e n a n c e
m a n a g e m e n t system. The Coast Guard was already actively
developing a new maintenance m a n a g e m e n t software program to track maintenance actions and spare parts. This new
CMplus m a i n t e n a n c e m a n a g e m e n t information system is
currently being developed and fielded across all Coast Guard
cutter classes. Coordination meetings were held with the developers to share our needs a n d better u n d e r s t a n d the
planned features of this new m a n a g e m e n t tool.
A third initiative has focused on providing the crew" with
adequate support tools for corrective maintenance. An enhanced data collection and archiving system, and a real-time
remote troubleshooting capability are being implemented for
the Healy. The expanded data archiving capability will enable both equipment diagnostics and performance trending
for prognostics. Remote troubleshooting will provide the crew
access to expert assistance from the OEMs. The remote mission requirements, limited crew size, and complexity of the
highly automated central power plant make these enhancements highly desirable.
Lessons learned
Selling the RCM concept
• The maintenance community is very receptive to work
reduction if it makes sense. As a minimum, RCM analysis should identify ineffective or excessive maintenance
practices that can be eliminated.
• Bias may need to be overcome if an organization has
previously tried a condition monitoring technology that
was judged to be unsuccessful. For example, if the vibration monitoring analytical software results were considered too complex for a crew to u n d e r s t a n d and interpret, and required data analysis to be performed by
experts ashore, then the crew could never develop a
sense of ownership of this technology. In contrast, CGC
Healy's improved analytical software combined with operator training will enable the crew to interpret its own
data and will make vibration monitoring a useful onboard tool.
• When thorough, well-designed m a i n t e n a n c e analysis
identifies realistic savings, upper m a n a g e m e n t may not
only support b u t also adopt an RCM approach and apply
it globally. Due in part to the maintenance savings predicted for the Healy, the Coast Guard is currently performing RCM analysis of preventive maintenance proMARINE TECHNOLOGY
55
cedures for all cutters in the fleet u n d e r the PMS 2000
initiative.
RCM team d e v e l o p m e n t
• RCM familiarization t r a i n i n g is necessary. Don't assume that everyone speaks the same language at the
outset. For example, "system functional failure" may be
misinterpreted to mean "equipment destruction." Preserving system functionality does not always require
preserving all equipment.
• In the maintenance p l a n n i n g team, include a variety of
skills such as system engineers who u n d e r s t a n d how the
equipment is designed, maintenance engineers who understand maintenance implementation issues, operators
who use the equipment, and m a n a g e m e n t who understand the infrastructure.
• Work to gain the ownership of all stakeholders. This
way, even an imperfect m a i n t e n a n c e system will be
implemented and improved until it works well.
The RCM process
• The methodical RCM review process itself provides the
biggest benefit when hidden opportunities to eliminate
ineffective or excessive preventive maintenance practices are discovered. Thus, RCM analysis can be useful,
even if condition monitoring is applied sparsely. For the
Healy, 8.0% of the total predicted preventive maintenance savings are attributable to simply eliminating excessive m a i n t e n a n c e practices. Another 4.2% results
from automating feedwater and potable water sampling
tasks alone.
• Document the decision process at all stages of the RCM
analysis to capture the logic behind the recommendations.
• Talk to OEMs because they can provide valuable information about their equipment and the likely success of
applying a condition monitoring strategy to it.
• Expect resistance from some OEMs who would rather
sell you time-directed maintenance support contracts.
As the RCM philosophy is accepted by manufacturers,
this practice is expected to decline.
The end is only the b e g i n n i n g
• Expect the implemented shipboard PMS to evolve based
on technology advances and operator experience. Condi-
56
WINTER 2000 (37:1)
tion monitoring technology is constantly advancing~ resulting in better hardware and software at lower cost.
Also, experience will permit revision of monitoring and
maintenance frequencies through evaluation of equipmerit failure histories. Make the maintenance process
flexible enough to respond to these changes. Consider
ongoing, periodic review of preventive maintenance procedures.
While maintenance p l a n n i n g to date for the Healy has
focused on operational-level maintenance, the total lifecycle maintenance should be considered. Based on other
studies beyond the scope of this paper, we feel that significant opportunities exist for minimizing restricted
availabilities and overhaul maintenance costs as well.
Conclusions
RCM is a promising approach to reduce the preventive
maintenance workload for ship machinery systems. We expect that such a preventive maintenance system aboard the
Healy will not only permit her reduced crew to operate with
high levels of readiness, but to also be better informed about
the current condition of the machinery plant. Both crew
readiness and extensive crew knowledge of machinery plant
conditions are considered essential for successful extended
deployments to remote and harsh polar regions.
Of course, even the best plans are worthless unless they
are implemented with skill and conviction. Skill results when
experienced professionals are trained in new technologies,
such as RCM, that enhance their effectiveness. Conviction
follows from a good u n d e r s t a n d i n g of how RCM can be successfully applied to CGC Healy, together with a sense of ownership derived from active participation in the process.
While significant benefits are expected from the application of RCM principles and condition monitoring techniques,
this is only the start. A p e r m a n e n t effort will be required to
consider improvements due to operating experience and technology advances.
References
1. Baetsen, K. and Fry, R., "The MSC Worldwide Lube Oil Management Program," JOAP International Condition Monitoring Conference,
Nov. 1994.
2. Naval EngineeringManual, COMDTINSTM900O.6/series), Chapter 262, "Lubricating Oils."
3. Smith, A. M., Reliability-Centered Maintenance, McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1993.
MARINE TECHNOL,OGY