Definition
RCM (Reliability Centred Maintenance) is a structured methodology, originally developed for the aviation industry in 1978 and later formalised in the standard SAE JA1011, for determining what maintenance a componentA replaceable part inside a fixed asset. It has its own age, its own history and its own service life - independent of the asset it sits in. actually needs. Instead of replacing parts on a fixed calendar, RCM maps how each component type typically fails (failure mode), how severe the consequence is, and which maintenance strategy fits best - condition-based monitoring, scheduled replacement, or letting the component run to failure. The methodology assumes good knowledge of the component's history and operating conditions; without that, 'condition-based' is just a word with no data behind it.