A value-based maintenance optimization method for failure prevention based on reliability modeling of a hybrid assembly system

Abstract

The effective maintenance policy for the fixtures of the assembly system will guarantee good process capability and product quality to a great extent. Traditional maintenance schedules for the assembly system, such as a constant reliability index as the maintenance trigger, are always based on the fixed maintenance threshold in engineering practice. It always results in down time of the process, unqualified products or the excessive maintenance costs. The aim of this paper is to present a method to optimize the maintenance schedules for a serial-parallel hybrid assembly system. Based on the production chain definition of the hybrid system, a reliability evaluation method by integrating the process performance of the hybrid assembly system and product qualities is proposed. On the basis of the reliability method, a value-based preventive maintenance optimization policy for the fixture components is presented to prevent system failures. Compared with the traditional reliability threshold method for maintenance, the proposed maintenance method generates more value on the premise that the system status and product quality are guaranteed. A case study is used to illustrate the proposed method and validate the effectiveness and advantages.