A condition-based maintenance policy with non-periodic inspections for a two-unit series system

• Published in: Reliability engineering & system safety Vol. 87; no. 1; pp. 109 - 120
• Main Authors: Castanier, B., Grall, A., Bérenguer, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer Science; Condition-based maintenance; Economic dependences; Exact sciences and technology; Markov renewal process; Multi-unit system; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Reliability theory. Replacement problems; Stochastic model; Wear; Stochastic model; Multi-unit system; Condition-based maintenance; Wear; Economic dependences; Markov renewal process; Markov process; Inspection policy; System maintenance; Renewal process; Maintenance cost
• ISSN: 0951-8320; 1879-0836
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2004.04.013

This paper considers a condition-based maintenance policy for a two-unit deteriorating system. Each unit is subject to gradual deterioration and is monitored by sequential non-periodic inspections. It can be maintained by good as new preventive or corrective replacements. Every inspection or replacement entails a set-up cost and a component-specific unit cost but if actions on the two components are combined, the set-up cost is charged only once. A parametric maintenance decision framework is proposed to coordinate inspection/replacement of the two components and minimize the long-run maintenance cost of the system. A stochastic model is developed on the basis of the semi-regenerative properties of the maintained system state and the associated cost model is used to assess and optimize the performance of the maintenance model. Numerical experiments emphasize the interest of a control of the operation groupings.