1. Aviation Maintenance Methods:
A Proposed Multi-Disciplinary
Approach
Gregory C. Stamp
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
14 December 2009

2. Outline
 Background
 General Maintenance
 Aviation Maintenance
 Aviation Maintenance Methodology
 Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
 Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
 Strategic Maintenance Management (SMM)
 Summary
 References
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3. Background
 Performance of machine will inevitably deviate from specified
performance standards-leading to failures.
 Driving need to minimize failures because of our dependence on
machines
 Typical Aircraft Maintenance Program:
• Understand failure process involving functional and potential
failures.
 Characteristics of Modern Industrial Societies:
• Dependence on high-tech machines to produce goods and
services
• Company productivity and outputs
 Dependent upon the equipment’s operational quality
 Various maintenance methods being implemented across several
industries (e.g. transportation, manufacturing, and mining).
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4. General Maintenance (1 of 3)
 Maintenance:
• Definition: “A process of ensuring that a system continually performs its
intended in level of reliability and safety” (Kinnison, 2004)
 Entropy: The “Unavailable Energy”:
• Thermodynamic concept that is used to explain the reduce designed in level
of perfection of a system.
• Direct correlation between entropy and required maintenance of a system
 As entropy increases the system reliability reduces dramatically, which
requires increase maintenance
 Maintenance from two different perspective:
• Engineer: Primary role is the minimize entropy during system design
• Mechanic: Primary function is to execute preventive methods to minimize
the effects of entropy of the system through its life cycle.
 Two Main types of Maintenance:
• Schedule Maintenance: Preventive maintenance that is executed at regular
time frames (e.g. daily, every 1000 cycles, etc…)
• Unscheduled Maintenance: Un-predictable maintenance intervals which
may require significant effort to restore the system
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5. General Maintenance (2 of 3)
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From “Aviation Maintenance Management” by Harry A. Kinnison, 2004.
Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
 1Illustration of the natural decay of a system affecting the systems
level of perfection
 Designed in level of perfection deteriorates over time
 Inherent reliability of system is compromised
 Corrective action needed to restore system back to original levels
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6. General Maintenance (3 of 3)
From “Aviation Maintenance Management” by Harry A. Kinnison, 2004.
1
Copyright 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
 1Illustration of the effects of applied schedule maintenance to
restoring original level of perfection
 Schedule maintenance at optimum time period for restoration
• Preventive maintenance is an effective means of restoring the system
back to original inherent reliability
 Extreme corrective action taken during unscheduled
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7. Aviation Maintenance (1 of 2)
 Pre-World War I (WW I):
• Wright Brothers reported of one the first aircraft maintenance
discrepancies from the famous Wright “Flyer”
• Manufacturing simply aircrafts
• Carefree attitude towards flight checks (pre/post flight)
 During WW I:
• Early maintenance methods focused on repairing damages From
that occurred during take off and landing www.nasa.gov/.../image_feature_976.html
• Reliability and maintainability not high priority while
instituting a maintenance program
 After WW II:
• Development of complex aircrafts (technology)
• Justification of the need for preventive maintenance as the
complexity of machines increased
• Development of structured schedule maintenance programs
From www.gereports.com/.../
to prolong the use of aircraft
• Unscheduled maintenance remained a significant challenge for
industry experts
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8. Aviation Maintenance (2 of 2)
 During 1950’s:
• Drastic change in the perception about maintenance
• Implementation of maintenance techniques viewed as critical
to not only to airlines but to the public in general
 Proper maintenance inspection saves not only cost but also lives of
passengers.
• Determined previous maintenance efforts resulted in the
wasting of valuable resources
• Safety and reliability became paramount
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9. Aviation Maintenance Methodology
(1 of 3)
 Increasing complex systems and
subsystems in modern jetliners:
• Individual mechanics effort becomes next
to impossible
• Comprehensive team effort needed From www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-
art/71246/...
 Aviation Maintenance Programs in
1960s:
• Boeing 747 “jumbo jet” ushered in the
modern era of aviation maintenance
program
• Creation of team of subject matter experts
to formulate possible solution to address
complex maintenance problems 9

10. Aviation Maintenance Methodology
( 2 of 3)
 Committee developed maintenance steering group (MSG):
• Involves several industry working groups (IWGs): structures, mechanical
systems, engines and auxiliary power plant, ect…
• Considered to be a “bottom up” approach
• Successfully applied the Boeing 747
 During the 1970s industry experts modified process to develop
MSG-2:
• Created schedule maintenance programs for Lockheed 1011 and Douglas
DC-10
• MSG-2 simplifies the process to be categorized in three main areas
(components, structures, and engines)
 Primary objectives of the techniques outlined in MSG-1and
MSG-2:
• Develop a schedule maintenance program to assured the maximum safety
and inherent reliability
• Provide the reliability at the lowest cost
 Used logically process flow diagram: 10
• Determine the necessary steps to resolve the maintenance issues.

11. Aviation Maintenance Methodology
(3 of 3)
 During the early 1980’s:
• Air Transportation Association of America (ATA) created the MSG-3 task-
oriented maintenance method for the aviation industry.
 Differences between MSG-3 and MSG-2 schedule maintenance:
• MSG-3 Approach- “Top- Down” instead of the “Bottom- Up” approach in
the MSG-2
• The MSG-3 also known as the “consequence of failure” approach
• Failure analysis conducted at the “highest manageable level of the aircraft
systems instead of the component level”
 United Airlines contracted to develop a more comprehensive
approach to the MSG:
• Capability to apply schedule maintenance to other types of equipments and
account for various shortcomings
• New process created comprehensive maintenance philosophy:
 Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
 RCM: used to determine the maintenance requirement of any machine
 Accounts for machines operating environment
 Consider this approach to be central aspect of aviation maintenance program.
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12. Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
 Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM):
• Systematic approach used to optimize preventive maintenance
• RCM methodology was created in the aircraft industry as a result of a
number of reliability studies concerning complex equipment.
 RCM based maintenance program philosophy:
• Determines requirements for any item whose loss of function or mode of
failure could have safety consequences
• Develop preventive task to reduce the risk and failures
• Redesign equipment to change its failure consequences (if needed)
 RCM logic categorizes four main types of failure of consequences:
• Safety
• Operational Costs
• Non-operation costs
• Hidden Failure consequences
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13. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
( 1 of 2)
 Total Productive Maintenance (TPM):
• Began in the Japanese car industry back in the 1970’s.
• Considered to be a critical link in achieving Total Quality
Control (TQC) and Just in Time (JIT) reduction
• According to premier subject matter experts (M. Seichi
Nakajima):
 Defines TPM as a comprehensive productive maintenance that
requires the total participation from everyone within the company
 TPM Environment:
• Focus on identifying and “preventing problems at the source”
• Creates conducive environment for managers and line
workers
• Incorporate a highly effective maintenance program that
implements the reliability-centered maintenance methodology.
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14. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
(2 of 2)
 Several key TPM elements include the following:
• Maximize equipment effectiveness
• Establish a in-depth preventative maintenance for the equipments entire life
span.
• Implement through various departments (i.e. engineering, maintenance, and
operations).
• Involves every single employee, from top management to workers on the
floor.
• Promotes preventive maintenance through motivation and management of
autonomous small group activities
 TPM Impacts:
• Bottom-line by revitalizing and enhancing quality management approach.
• Integration with RCM
• Outcomes -improved capacity and reducing both maintenance cost and
overall operational costs (Kennedy, 1996).
 Comparison to RCM:
• TPM seen as more management oriented
• RCM is oriented towards engineering level tasks
• RCM handles the preventative maintenance standard 14
• TPM establishes the overall company mindset for continuous improvement

15. Strategic Maintenance Management (SMM)
 Strategic Maintenance Management (SMM):
• Focuses on the long-term strategic issues of the company
• Differs from narrow (short-term) operating context observed in the RCM
and TPM
• Forms an integral part of the management process
 Two key elements of SMM methodology are the following:
• Maintenance management is a vital core business activity
 Critical to business survival and success
• Effective maintenance management needs to be based on quantitative
business models
 Integrate maintenance with other decisions such as production
 Overall effective maintenance management involves:
• Formulating maintenance strategies
• Implementing these strategies for business success companies
 Multi-Disciplinary Approach:
• Integration with both traditional TPM and RCM methodologies is possible
• Compliments existing policies by providing strategic focus and perspective
• Applied to overall company maintenance strategies with SMM
• Modern effective maintenance management program requires a multi-
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disciplinary approach (strategic approach to maintenance)

16. Summary
 Pervasive Presence of Machines:
• Indicates our reliance on machines ease some of tedious burdens
• Expected system degradations and failures
 Developed Several Methods:
• Systematical approach these imperfections.
• Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) involves a logical approach
to preventive maintenance (RCM).
• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) involves each employee in the
continuous improvement process.
• Strategic Maintenance Management (SMM) involves top-level
management incorporate maintenance in the company’s strategic
planning by supporting a methodology.
 Multi-Disciplinary Approach:
• Incorporates RCM, TPM, and SMM in a maintenance program
• Capable of improving the overall effectiveness of the company
 Reduces operational and maintenance cost as well as improve
productivity
 Strive to minimize failures and save lives 16

17. References
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC.: American Psychological
Association.
Ben-Daya, Mohammed. (2000). You may need RCM to enhance TPM implementation.
Journal of Quality in Maintenance, 6, 2, 82-85.
Cobb, T. W. (2005). Aircraft Maintenance Management (2nd ed.). Florida: Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University
Kennedy, R. (1996). Examining the process of RCM and TPM: What do they ultimately achieve
and are the two approaches compatible? [Electronic Version]. Retrieved December, 3
2009 from The Centre of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)-Australasia.
Kinnison, H. A. (2004). Aviation Maintenance Management. New York: The McGraw-Hill
Companies.
Lahiri, R.N., Sinha, A. Chowdhury, S., Chowdhury, S.P., Crossley, P.A. (2008). Importance of
strategic maintenance management for Indian utility industry [Electronic Version].
Retrieved December, 3 2009 from IEEE Xplore.
Matteson, T.D., & Nowlan, F.S. (1967). Current trends in airline maintenance
programs. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 67-379.
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18. References
Murthy, D.N.P., Atrens, A., Eccleston, J.A. (2002). Strategic maintenance
management.
Journal of Quality in Maintenance, 8, 4, 287-305.
Nowlan, F.S. (1978). Preventive maintenance- past, present, and future.
American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, 78-1529.
Perotti, G. (n.d). Maintenance integrated system: The right recipe of TPM and
RCM
[Electronic Version]. Retrieved December, 3 2009 from http: //
www.terosonline.it
Reyes-Picknell, J. (2006). RCM vs. TPM: Which is best? [Electronic Version].
Retrieved December, 3 2009 from
http://uptimethebook.blogspot.com/2006/07/rcm-vs-tpm-which-
works-best.html
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19. Any Questions?
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