4.3.18.19. Reliability and Maintainability Engineering

Acquisition Phase

R&M Activities

Materiel Solution Analysis (MSA) Phase. During the Materiel Solution Analysis Phase, the R&M engineer, as part of the program SE team, should:

• Analyze conceptual design approaches and estimate the feasibility with respect to R&M ICD performance capabilities
• Perform AoA trade-off studies among R&M, availability, and other system performance parameters to arrive at a preferred system alternative. The studies should be performed in conjunction with product support, cost, and design personnel, using the DoD RAM-C Rationale Report Manual
• Prepare the Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Cost (RAM-C) Rationale Report and attach it to the SEP
• Translate ICD performance capabilities and draft CDD thresholds to R&M specification requirements based on system use conditions, mission profile, failure definitions, and utilization rates
• Define contractor R&M engineering activities in the RFP and contract Statement of Work for the TD phase, which should include:

a. Allocations

b. Block diagrams and modeling

c. Predictions

d. Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)

e. Subsystem and system-level reliability growth planning activities

f. R&M tests and demonstrations

g. Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System (FRACAS)

Technology Development (TD) Phase. During the Technology Development phase, the R&M engineer, as part of the program SE team, should:

• Participate in trade studies during requirements analysis and architecture design
• Review results of R&M engineering analyses, verification tests, design approach, availability assessments, and maintenance concept optimization to verify conformance to requirements, and to identify potential R&M problem areas
• Contribute to integrated test planning to avoid duplication and afford a more complete utilization of all test data for R&M assessment. Comprehensive test planning should include subsystem reliability growth and maintainability and Built-In Test (BIT) demonstrations as appropriate
• Verify that plans have been established for the selection and application criteria of parts, materials, and processes to limit reliability risks
• Define contractor R&M engineering activities in the RFP and contract Statement of Work for the EMD phase, during which R&M quantitative requirements and verification methods are incorporated

Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase. During the EMD phase, the R&M engineer, as part of the program SE team, should:

• Perform evaluations to assess R&M status and problems
• Ensure that the product baseline design and required testing can meet the R&M requirements
• Ensure the final FMECA identifies failure modes, and their detection methods, that could result in personnel injury and/or mission loss, and ensure they are mitigated in the design
• Ensure that the detailed R&M prediction to assess system potential to meet design requirements is complete
• Verify through appropriate subsystem/equipment-level tests the readiness to enter system-level testing at or above the initial reliability established in the reliability growth-planning curve in both the SEP and the TEMP
• Verify system conformance to specified R&M requirements through appropriate demonstration and test
• Implement a FRACAS to ensure feedback of failure data during test and to apply and track corrective actions
• Coordinate with the Chief Developmental Tester (T&E Lead) and Operational Test Agencies (OTA) to ensure that the program office and OTA data collection agree on R&M monitoring and failure definitions, and that R&M and BIT scoring processes are consistent in verification of requirements through all levels of testing
• Define contractor R&M engineering activities in the RFP and contract Statement of Work (SOW) for the P&D phase to ensure adequate R&M engineering activities take place during P&D, and to ensure the RFP and contract SOW provide adequate consideration of R&M in re-procurements, spares, and repair parts
• Verify that parts, materials, and processes meet system requirements through the use of a management plan detailing reliability risk considerations and evaluation strategies for the intended service life. Include flow of requirements to subcontractors and suppliers. See MIL-STD-1546, Parts, Materials, and Processes Control Program for Space and Launch Vehicles, and MIL-STD-1547, Electronic Parts, Materials, and Processes for Space and Launch Vehicles

Production and Deployment (P&D) Phase. During the P&D phase, the R&M engineer, as part of the programs SE team should:

• Verify initial production control of R&M degradation factors by test and inspection, production data analysis, and supplemental tests
• Verify R&M characteristics, maintenance concept, repair policies, Government technical evaluation, and maintenance procedures by T&E
• Identify R&M and production-related BIT improvement opportunities via FRACAS and field data assessment
• Review Engineering Change Proposals (ECP), operational mission/deployment changes, and variations for impact on R&M
• Update R&M predictions and FMECAs based on field results and apply them to the models previously developed to assess impacts on spares, manpower, missions, and availability
• Verify that parts, materials, and processes management requirements for limiting reliability risk and “lessons learned” are utilized during all design change efforts including change proposals, variations, substitutions, product improvement efforts, or any other hardware change effort

Operations and Support (O&S) Phase. During the O&S phase, the R&M engineer, as part of the program SE team should:

• Assess operational data to determine the adequacy of R&M and BIT characteristics performance, maintenance features and procedures, and provisioning plans
• Identify problem areas for correction through ongoing closed-loop FRACAS and field data assessment
• Monitor availability rates and respond to negative trends and data anomalies