8. EPRI's Streamlined RCM method

8.1 Origin and background

In the USA, some operators of thermal or nuclear power plants who had opted for a conventional MBF implementation found that its implementation was very costly in terms of financial resources and personnel, and that the return on investment was not always forthcoming. This is why attempts have been made by consulting firms and specialized institutes, with varying degrees of success, to lighten the formal MBF procedure while retaining its fundamental principles. Among the methods described as "streamlined" or "simplified", the most widely recognized is that developed by EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute). This research organization is funded mainly by American operators, with support from operators in other countries. This section describes EPRI's Streamlined...