Simulation model based on reliability and maintenance of a component and their effect on cost

Abstract

Maintenance actions are important activities carried out by utilities to maintain the operability, reliability and sustainability of systems. These actions are mainly divided into two categories, corrective and preventive with different degrees, e.g. as-good-as-new, as-bad-as-old, imperfect. In this paper, a general flexible maintenance model is created that integrates both corrective and preventive maintenance actions as well as their maintenance degree. The model incorporates a novel parameter, maintenance efficiency, which inherently influences maintenance actions and the behavior of the component under study. Impact of each maintenance action are evaluated and observed by considering several implemented indices, e.g. expenses, reliability etc. For input data, information on failure history of the component suffice. The model is implemented and run in ARENA software and the study presented shows accurately the relation and impact of employed variables.