Time and inventory dependent optimal maintenance policies for single machine workstations: An MDP approach

J.S. Borrero and R. Akhavan-Tabatabaei

European Journal of Operational Research, 2013, vol. 228, issue 3, 545-555

Abstract: In this work the problem of obtaining an optimal maintenance policy for a single-machine, single-product workstation that deteriorates over time is addressed, using Markov Decision Process (MDP) models. Two models are proposed. The decision criteria for the first model is based on the cost of performing maintenance, the cost of repairing a failed machine and the cost of holding inventory while the machine is not available for production. For the second model the cost of holding inventory is replaced by the cost of not satisfying the demand. The processing time of jobs, inter-arrival times of jobs or units of demand, and the failure times are assumed to be random. The results show that in order to make better maintenance decisions the interaction between the inventory (whether in process or final), and the number of shifts that the machine has been working without restoration, has to be taken into account. If this interaction is considered, the long-run operational costs are reduced significantly. Moreover, structural properties of the optimal policies of the models are obtained after imposing conditions on the parameters of the models and on the distribution of the lifetime of a recently restored machine.

Keywords: Dynamic programming; Maintenance; Markov processes; Reliability; Stochastic processes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:228:y:2013:i:3:p:545-555

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2013.02.011

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