Lean Maintenance Applied to Improve Maintenance Efficiency in Thermoelectric Power Plants

Orlando Duran, Andrea Capaldo and Paulo Andrés Duran Acevedo
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Orlando Duran: Mechanical Engineering School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso 2430000, Chile
Andrea Capaldo: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politécnico de Milán, Politecnico de Milán, 20133 Milano MI, Italy
Paulo Andrés Duran Acevedo: Inacap Valparaiso, Universidad Tecnológica de Chile INACAP, Valparaiso 2430000, Chile

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: Thermoelectric power plants consist of a set of critical equipment that require high levels of availability and reliability. Due to this, maintenance of these physical assets is gaining momentum in industry. Maintenance is considered as an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater efficiencies in maintenance, among which we can find the lean maintenance philosophy. Despite the wide diffusion of lean maintenance, there is no structured method that supports the prescription of lean tools applied to the maintenance function. This paper presents the experience gathered in two lean maintenance projects in thermoelectric power plants. The application of lean techniques was based on using a previously developed multicriterial decision making process that uses the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology to carry out a diagnosis and prescription tasks. That methodology allowed the prescription of the appropriated lean techniques to resolve the main deficiencies in maintenance function. The results of applying such lean tools show that important results can be obtained, making the maintenance function in thermoelectric power plants more efficient and lean.

Keywords: maintenance management; thermoelectric power plants; lean maintenance; fuzzy AHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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