Preventive maintenance (PM) programmes are used in manufacturing plants to help avoid or mitigate the impact of operational failures. This book discusses and evaluates current PM practices, and shows how the reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) method can promote cost-effective manufacturing. Included is an application of RCM to a swimming pool water treatment system that illustrates the seven basic steps employed in developing RCM-based PM tasks. Also presented is a series of real-world power plant applications that further demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of the methodology. Engineers and plant managers will find detailed instructions for implementing an RCM program in their own manufacturing facilities, plus helpful information on how RCM fits into Total Quality Management (TQM).