Technical report | A Study of Condition Based Maintenance for Land Force Vehicles

Abstract

Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) is a method of both diagnostic and prognostic maintenance that has been used extensively in the air environment. This report describes a literature review of CBM where it relates to the land-based platform maintenance in particular. The review outlines the current state of CBM analysis, and in particular in terms of prognostic fleet management. Emphasis is further placed on an enquiry into the costs and benefits of CBM for land force equipment maintenance. A number of CBM cost-benefit studies are used as case studies to provide a framework for future analysis, including the potential challenges and the issues that CBM could bring to Army if implemented. The insights gained from this review give an understanding of the introduction and implementation of CBM to legacy fleets, but in particular the adoption of CBM into new equipment fleets such as LAND 400.

Executive Summary

There has been a drive over recent years to incorporate the concepts of condition monitoring which have been developed in the air environment into the domain of land-based platform maintenance. Under this paradigm maintenance transition from a time-based construct to one based on the need, or condition, of the platform itself. This Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) remains relatively new within the context of legacy military land vehicles within the Australian Army, yet it is likely to become more prevalent with future platform acquisitions, such as LAND 121 and LAND 400 in particular. This report presents a literature review of CBM, with emphasis placed on the issues relating to land platforms. An important component of this review is an attempt to articulate what is understood in terms of a CBM system, and to provide a working definition for discussion. Another central theme of this review is to inform debate on developing a value proposition for CBM being introduced into Army, and in new fleets in particular. An important component of this is to understand the cost-benefit analysis that has been done to date and identify relevant factors for any future work conducted by Land Operations Division. Whilst the literature review found technical papers focusing on the capacity to sense equipment condition, there were fewer dealing directly with the health prediction of specific sub-systems. There is less published on the success or otherwise of actual systems applied to land vehicles. Indeed, the predominant focus has been the technology aspects of the sensors themselves. There has been less analysis on the broader requirements of CBM beyond the platform, or indeed how CBM might inform decisions at different levels within Defence, or how it might be used to prime the spares supply chain. The report outlines at least some of the likely costs and benefits and furthermore discusses some of the potential challenges to be faced during the introduction of any CBM system into Army land-based platforms.