Improving an asset’s value includes addressing effectiveness, efficiency and reliability. These are key factors for success in the marine and offshore industries and require a lifecycle process focused on critical systems and risk assessments to continuously improve asset performance. The ABS Guide for Assessment of the Process for Product Reliability outlines an approach which offers an optional process reliability endorsement for existing marine and offshore type-approved products.
Process
The Guide provides a path to address reliability goals through an assessment of the reliability process for products intended for marine and offshore applications. The process for product reliability is based on ABS rules and guides, international standards and industry best practices related to establishing, maintaining or improving a certain product's reliability.
As defined in the Guide, the process for reliability is to include a product reliability goal statement, reliability task(s) and reliability assessment method(s). A key aspect of the reliability goal statement is to identify product functions and functional failures for a defined operating timeframe and environment. Implemented procedures supporting the reliability goal statement include reliability focused task(s) measured consistently using standard reliability assessment method(s).
Benefits
Products with an ABS-endorsed reliability process can provide the following benefits to their customers:
- Guidance when selecting products or systems intended for enrollment in a Preventative Maintenance Program associated with alternative crediting of Special Periodical Survey of Machinery
- Improvements to asset management initiatives for new or existing assets
- Enhancements to operations and maintenance program performance so that unanticipated repairs and operational disruptions may be minimized
- Future compliance with the ABS Guide for Surveys Based on Machinery Reliability and Maintenance Techniques, when installed onboard a vessel that meet’s the guide’s requirements