Modelling of product demand as a pointer tool for choice of maintenance strategy

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to use product demand or sales turnout of products in a competitive environment as an indicator to suggest maintenance strategies for machinery. The model takes account of singular products from several companies or industries, thus giving room for a share factor in the market population. The model is developed based on the factors of maintenance severity, production capacity, output production, production strategies and demand for the product. It also integrates conventional manufacturing, just-in-time (JIT) and automation with maintenance cultures such as predictive, preventive and breakdown, coupled with a spare parts inventory. The software was developed using C# to ease and consolidate the entire research. Production data and product turnout for the same products for twelve weeks from one industry with were collected and analysed to validate this concept. The output of the integrated maintenance product demand model is dynamic, as the suggested maintenance strategy based on product demand varies with time. The model formulated was able to assist in taking appropriate maintenance decisions on machinery, thereby reducing the mean time to failure (MTTF) and thus correcting the products backlog and enhancing overall equipment effectiveness, management of machinery, products flow and materials inventory.