RCM as an application of the CDIO operation component in the electronic engineering program of the University of Quindío

Abstract

The CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) approach seeks to train engineers with technical skills and transversal competencies that allow them to perform efficiently in the industrial and academic world. In this context, the "Operation" component is fundamental, as it focuses on the ability of future engineers to ensure the functionality and efficiency of systems in real scenarios. In the Electronic Engineering Program of the University of Quindío, the implementation of Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) within the CDIO framework allows this competence to be significantly strengthened.

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is a methodology widely used in industry to optimize asset management and ensure equipment availability. In the academic field, its application in the laboratories of the Electronic Engineering program allows students to face real maintenance challenges, developing skills in failure analysis, system management and decision making.

One of the main problems in laboratories is the lack of preventive and predictive maintenance, which causes equipment failures and limits its availability for academic practice. The strategy implemented through the seminar-based degree work modality has allowed RCM to be integrated as a viable solution, where students identify critical failures, analyze causes and propose maintenance strategies based on reliability.

Incorporating RCM into the CDIO approach strengthens the “Operation” component by providing students with experience-based learning. Through the implementation of structured maintenance strategies, students develop:

• Ability to analyze and diagnose faults in electronic and automation systems.
• Skills in planning and executing preventive and corrective maintenance strategies.
• Understanding of the impact of maintenance on the operation of technical systems, which prepares them to face real challenges in the workplace.
• Development of competencies in technical systems management, aligned with the needs of the industry.

As a result of the implementation of RCM in the Electronic Engineering program, a maintenance plan was designed and implemented for laboratory equipment that was not included in the university's maintenance actions. This equipment, being highly specialized, did not have professionals dedicated to its maintenance management. Through planned and structured maintenance, students have managed to establish specific strategies that ensure the operability and availability of these devices, allowing them to improve their academic experience and align their training with the needs of the industrial sector.