Risk-Based Maintenance Prioritization of Circular Loom Components Using FMEA and RCM II
Abstract
General Background: Equipment reliability and preventive maintenance are essential for maintaining production continuity and minimizing unplanned downtime in manufacturing systems. Specific Background: Circular Loom machines are central to woven bag production, recording 262 failures and 87,230 minutes of downtime between March 2025 and March 2026. Knowledge Gap: Component-specific failure risk prioritization and appropriate maintenance intervals are required to address recurring operational disruptions. Aims: This study identifies critical machine components, evaluates failure risks, and determines maintenance strategies and intervals using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Reliability-Centered Maintenance II (RCM II). Results: Pareto analysis identified six critical components accounting for approximately 78% of total downtime. All exhibited very high failure risks, with the Shuttle recording the highest Risk Priority Number (RPN) of 448, followed by the Arm and Lever (392), Motor Winder (336), and V-Belt and Roll Winder (294). Recommended maintenance intervals were four days for the V-Belt, five days for the Arm and Motor Winder, 50 days for the Lever, 59 days for the Roll Winder, and 63 days for the Shuttle. Novelty: The study integrates downtime-based component prioritization, failure risk assessment, and RCM II decision-based maintenance scheduling within a unified analytical framework. Implications: The proposed on-condition inspection, scheduled restoration, and scheduled discard strategies provide actionable recommendations for reducing equipment failures, controlling maintenance costs, and supporting production continuity. Highlights: The Shuttle recorded the highest Risk Priority Number of 448. Preventive servicing intervals ranged from 4 to 63 days. Three scheduled maintenance strategies were recommended based on failure characteristics. Keywords: Circular Loom, Downtime, Failure mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Maintenance, Reliability-Centered Maintenance II (RCM II).