PHM – Prognostics and health management

FMDS" services (reliability, maintainability, availability, safety) are now widely called upon to carry out one-off studies or in-depth analyses. In fact, industrial maintenance is proving to be both a source and a target for industrial and scientific developments, resulting in occasional "industry-research" partnerships. More specifically, at company level, the traditional concepts of preventive and corrective maintenance are gradually being supplemented by a more reactive and proactive approach to failure phenomena. Indeed, manufacturers are tending to strengthen their ability to anticipate failures in order to take preventive action as accurately as possible, with a view to reducing costs and risks. As a result, the implementation of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) solutions is playing an increasingly important role in maintenance activities, and the prognostics process is now seen as one of the main levers for action in the quest for overall performance. Firstly, from an environmental point of view, industrial prognostics is part of a sustainable development approach: it increases the availability and extends the life cycle of industrial systems. Secondly, anticipating the failure of critical components helps prevent industrial risks and ensure the safety of people and property. Prognosis also helps to ensure continuity of services, thereby enhancing their quality. Finally, the implementation of predictive maintenance (based on prognostics) requires qualification, and helps to enhance the value of technical maintenance personnel.

Over and above the resonance it may have with the industrial world, the PHM prognosis theme is naturally becoming a framework for research work in its own right, and tends to be increasingly visible within the scientific community. Numerous laboratories are now taking an interest, and four conferences devoted to the PHM theme are scheduled each year. However, PHM solutions are still the result of evolving maintenance techniques and technologies. The aim of this article is therefore to present the emergence of the PHM theme, to show how it complements traditional maintenance activities, to explain the underlying processes, particularly that of prognosis, to describe the benefits that can be expected from the implementation of PHM solutions in industry, and finally to provide some food for thought on the major problems and challenges that are still topical.