R&M 2000 The Engineering Connection

This paper introduces 5 principles and 21 associated building blocks representative of successful approaches used within industry to produce reliable and maintainable systems. Several building blocks are singled out for discussion because of recent initiatives undertaken by the Air Force. These topics include modularity, technician transparency, simplification, computer-aided tools, and environmental stress screening. The 21 building blocks provide a strong foundation upon which to build weapon systems with increased combat capability. The requirement to maintain the designed-in reliability and maintainability (R&M) attributes through careful attention to quality control issues also receives emphasis. Those factors which most strongly influence variability in the desired system performance must be identified. Finally, the paper emphasizes the crucial role of education in truly integrating the design aspects of R&M into engineering disciplines.