Integration of RCM and PHM for the next generation of aircraft

With global cuts in defense budgets, air forces have to sustain the same level of readiness with a reduced number of aircraft. To succeed with this challenge, it is not sufficient to improve current maintenance concepts, but also new ones have to be introduced. Traditionally, the development of on-board functions and maintenance concepts has been performed rather independently. The new approach is to focus on an integration of these two developments and to adapt a life cycle view together with a disregard of organizational boundaries. To facilitate necessary changes, a study is performed by Saab and Lulea University of Technology. The study focuses on the possibilities to integrate RCM and PHM in a cost-effective way. The aim is to reduce the workload of maintenance development and to find out how to combine RCM and PHM to achieve a joint development of the aircraft and its maintenance program throughout the aircraft´s whole life cycle. The paper describes some similarities and differences between RCM and PHM. Furthermore, the paper describes some aspects of how RCM and PHM are complementing each other and what kind of adaptations that has to be done to achieve a successful integration. For example, a good application of RCM early in system design might generate a pull for PHM-technology integration and motivate design changes of the aircraft. Simultaneously, available PHM- technologies might strongly affect the selection of applicable and effective maintenance tasks in the development of the initial maintenance program. PHM also gives a direct feedback of the maintenance program´s performance. In addition, an approach for a stepwise integration of RCM and PHM is outlined.