Optimal maintenance scheduling for a complex manufacturing system subject to deterioration

• Published in: Annals of operations research Vol. 217; no. 1; pp. 1 - 29
• Main Author: Ahmadi, Reza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.06.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Automation; Business and Management; Combinatorics; Costs; Damage; Deterioration; Engineering research; Flexible assembly systems; Flexible manufacturing systems; Inspection; Inspections; Maintenance; Maintenance and repair; Maintenance costs; Maintenance management; Manufacturing; Manufacturing execution systems; Markov analysis; Mathematical models; Operations research; Operations Research/Decision Theory; Optimization; Prevention; Preventive maintenance; Repair; Scheduling; Scheduling (Management); Studies; Theory of Computation; Degradation; Renewal reward theorem; Virtual age process; Maintenance scheduling; Integral equations; Proportional intensity model
• ISSN: 0254-5330; 1572-9338
• DOI: 10.1007/s10479-014-1543-4

We address the problem of determining inspection strategy and replacement policy for a deteriorating complex multi-component manufacturing system whose state is partially observable. We develop inspection and replacement scheduling models and other simple maintenance scheduling models via employing an imperfect repair model coupled with a damage process induced by operational conditions. The system state in performance of the imperfectly repaired system is modelled using a proportional intensity model incorporating a damage process and a virtual age process caused by repair. The system is monitored at periodic times and maintenance actions are carried out in response to the observed system state. Decisions to perform imperfect repair and replacement are based on the system state and crossing of a replacement threshold. The model proposed here aims at joint determination of a cost-optimal inspection and replacement policy along with an optimal level of maintenance which result in low maintenance cost and high operational performance and reliability of the system. To demonstrate the use of the model in practical applications a numerical example is provided. Solutions to optimal system parameters are obtained and the response of the model to these parameters is examined. Finally some features of the model are demonstrated. The approach presented provides a framework so that different scenario can be explored.