Reliability and Predictive Maintenance

MEC 370 delves into the foundational concepts of equipment reliability and the practical application of predictive maintenance methodologies. The curriculum covers key diagnostic technologies such as vibration analysis and thermography, enabling students to identify potential equipment failures before they occur. We explore statistical tools like Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for performance assessment and introduce advanced maintenance strategies including Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) for optimizing maintenance programs. Furthermore, the course examines the role of Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) in streamlining maintenance operations, scheduling, and data analysis. Through a blend of theoretical instruction and hands-on laboratory exercises, students will develop the skills necessary to implement effective predictive maintenance programs in diverse industrial settings.

Course outline

Lectures, virtual labs, and graded assignments — completed in your browser.

01Lesson 1: Introduction to Reliability and Maintenance Philosophieslecture

02Lesson 2: Fundamentals of Equipment Reliability and Failure Statisticslecture

03Lesson 3: Introduction to Predictive Maintenance Technologieslecture

04Hands-on Lab: Vibration Analysis Fundamentals and Instrumentationlab

05Lesson 5: Advanced Vibration Analysis Techniques and Diagnosticslecture

06Lesson 6: Introduction to Thermography and Infrared Inspectionlecture

07Lesson 7: Advanced Thermography Applications and Interpretationlecture

08Hands-on Lab: Thermography Data Collection and Analysislab

09Lesson 9: Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Principles and Implementationlecture

10Lesson 10: Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Other Reliability Metricslecture

11Hands-on Lab: Developing a Basic RCM Strategy and MTBF Calculationlab

12Lesson 12: Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) Overviewlecture

13Lesson 13: Integrating Predictive Maintenance Data into CMMSlecture

14Capstone Service Project: Developing a Predictive Maintenance Program Planassignment

Syllabus

["Week 1: Lesson 1: Introduction to Reliability and Maintenance Philosophies","Week 2: Lesson 2: Fundamentals of Equipment Reliability and Failure Statistics","Week 3: Lesson 3: Introduction to Predictive Maintenance Technologies","Week 4: Hands-on Lab: Vibration Analysis Fundamentals and Instrumentation","Week 5: Lesson 5: Advanced Vibration Analysis Techniques and Diagnostics","Week 6: Lesson 6: Introduction to Thermography and Infrared Inspection","Week 7: Lesson 7: Advanced Thermography Applications and Interpretation","Week 8: Hands-on Lab: Thermography Data Collection and Analysis","Week 9: Lesson 9: Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Principles and Implementation","Week 10: Lesson 10: Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Other Reliability Metrics","Week 11: Hands-on Lab: Developing a Basic RCM Strategy and MTBF Calculation","Week 12: Lesson 12: Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) Overview","Week 13: Lesson 13: Integrating Predictive Maintenance Data into CMMS","Week 14: Capstone Service Project: Developing a Predictive Maintenance Program Plan"]