VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

2. Availability tradeoffs (Apply)

Describe various types of availability (e.g., inherent, operational), and the tradeoffs in reliability and maintainability that might be required to achieve availability goals.

Having a good definition is start, then doing what it take to achieve your goal takes work.

Additional References

SOR 089 Define Availability Uptime and Reliability to Get Them Right (podcast)

Quick Quiz

1-106. What is the best way to increase inherent reliability?

(A) Improve inspection techniques.
(B) Implement a design change.
(C) Conduct training in the manufacturing area
(D) Employ good maintenance techniques.

1-109. Identify the most appropriate definition for availability.

(A) Availability means being in an operable and committed state at the beginning of a mission.
(B) Availability refers to all actions necessary for retaining an item or restoring it to a specified condition.
(C) Availability is the measure of the ability of an item to be retained or restored to a specified condition for a specified mission.
(D) Availability is the probability that an item can perform its intended function for a specified interval under stated conditions

1-146. Which of the following are measures of availability?

I.   achieved
II.  capability
III. dependability
IV.  effectiveness
V.   inherent

(A) I and III only
(B) I and V only
(C) II, III, and IV only
(D) IV and V only

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

2. Maintenance strategies (Apply)

Identify the advantages and limitations of various maintenance strategies (e.g., reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), predictive maintenance, repair or replace decision making), and determine which strategy to use in specific situations. 

Having goals and using your resources wisely helps you achieve your goals.

Additional References

Quick Quiz

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

2. Maintenance strategies (Apply)

Identify the advantages and limitations of various maintenance strategies (e.g., reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), predictive maintenance, repair or replace decision making), and determine which strategy to use in specific situations. 

Another strategy is TPM, a nice addition to your program.

Additional References

Quick Quiz

1-122. Which maintenance strategy relies on automated monitoring and detailed understanding of failure mechanisms to implement fully?

(A) Corrective maintenance
(B) Preventative maintenance
(C) Prognostic health management
(D) Reactive maintenance

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

2. Maintenance strategies (Apply)

Identify the advantages and limitations of various maintenance strategies (e.g., reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), predictive maintenance, repair or replace decision making), and determine which strategy to use in specific situations. 

One strategy is RCM, while it has been around for a while, it remains useful today.

Additional References

Reliability Centered Maintenance (article)

Quick Quiz

1-111. Which of the following is not a function of a reliability centered maintenance program?

(A) identifying failure modes that affect system function
(B) preserving system function
(C) monitor sensor data
(D) prioritizing function needs

1-118. Specify one of the major premises of the reliability centered maintenance approach.

(A) Corrective maintenance should be eliminated.
(B) Equipment function should be preserved.
(C) System function should be preserved.
(D) Major equipment investments should be protected.

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

1. Planning (Create)

Develop plans for maintainability and availability that support reliability goals and objectives.

A few words on using available information and resources to efficiently plan for your organization’s maintenance activities.

Additional References

Quick Quiz

119. Consider the following systems. To which is the concept of mean time between failures least applicable?

(A) a truck
(B) a generator
(C) a rocket motor
(D) a sonar system

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

1. Planning (Create)

Develop plans for maintainability and availability that support reliability goals and objectives.

Additional References

The System Effectiveness Concept (article)

Quick Quiz

1-11. If operational readiness is 0.87, design adequacy is 93%, availability is 98%, maintainability is 0.91, and mission reliability is 0.99, calculate the system effectiveness.

(A) 79%
(B) 80%
(C) 88%
(D) 90%

VI. Maintainability and Availability
A. Management strategies

1. Planning (Create)

Develop plans for maintainability and availability that support reliability goals and objectives.

A few words on using available information and resources to efficiently plan for your organization’s maintenance activities.

Additional References

Data to Collect to Optimize Maintenance (article)

Recommended books for Maintenance Reliability Engineering (article)

Quick Quiz

1-113. For which of the following is maintainability an important consideration in design?

(A) computer memory
(B) unmanned satellites
(C) hybrid automobiles
(D) consumer DVD players

1-114. During which phase in a new maintainability program should the most funding be allocated?

(A) initial design and development
(B) demonstration verification
(C) operational
(D) customer service

1-115. Maintainability of equipment is measured in terms of which of the following?

I.   repair time
II.  maintenance dollar cost
III. maintenance man-hours
IV.  mean time to failure

(A) I and II only
(B) I, II, and III only
(C) II, III, and IV only
(D) I, II, III, and IV

1-116. Identify the best definition of maintainability.

(A) Maintainability is the probability of a system being restored to functional operation within a given period of time.
(B) Maintainability is the probability of survival of a system for a specified period of time.
(C) Maintainability entails maintaining a piece of equipment in satisfactory working condition.
(D) Maintainability is the performance of adequate maintenance on a system.

1-117. Which of the following is included in preventive maintenance time?

(A) the time needed to repair equipment that has failed
(B) downtime for routine or scheduled tasks to retain an item in operable condition
(C) delay time while awaiting spares from an off-site or remote location
(D) the time needed to obtain spares, make adjustments, and confirm repair success by testing

V. Reliability Testing
C. Product testing

Describe the purpose, advantages, and limitations of degradation types of tests, and use common models to develop product test plans, evaluate risks, and interpret test results.

A few other models and considerations when doing product testing —focus on failure mechanisms.

Additional References

V. Reliability Testing
C. Product testing

Describe the purpose, advantages, and limitations of degradation types of tests, and use common models to develop product test plans, evaluate risks, and interpret test results.

6. Degradation (wear–to–failure) testing (Evaluate)

This works for those failure mechanisms that permit a measure of the change to performance or some critical aspect of a product’s performance.

Additional References

Quick Quiz

1-3. Identify the kind of failure that would most likely result from high cycle fatigue.

(A) early failure
(B) wear-out failure
(C) mid-life failure
(D) constant failure

1-131. A qualification test can be used to determine whether a design and selected production method will give a specification-conforming product. An acceptance test can be used to determine whether the completed product conforms to design. What can a destructive test be used for?

(A) qualification only
(B) acceptance only
(C) qualification or acceptance
(D) neither qualification nor acceptance

V. Reliability Testing
C. Product Testing

Describe the purpose, advantages, and limitations of each of the following types of tests, and use common models to develop test plans, evaluate risks, and interpret test results.

5. Attribute testing (e.g., binomial, hypergeometric) (Evaluate)

Pass/fail based evaluations.

Additional References

How to Read an OC curve (article)

Quick Quiz

V. Reliability Testing
C. Product Testing

Describe the purpose, advantages, and limitations of each of the following types of tests, and use common models to develop test plans, evaluate risks, and interpret test results.

4. Stress screening (e.g., ESS, HASS, burn-in tests) (Evaluate)

Shake out those latent defects just waiting to cause an early life failure.

Additional References

Quick Quiz

1-135. What is the main purpose of environmental stress screening?

(A) to subject parts to extreme conditions
(B) to reduce the possibility of supplier inspections
(C) to assist in the selection of standardized parts
(D) to eliminate infant mortality failures