Two-dimensional preventive maintenance optimum for equipment sold with availability-based warranty

Abstract

Selecting complex equipment with availability requirements as the object of study, this article investigates an availability-based warranty policy. Under this policy, apart from providing repairs or replacements upon failures, the manufacturer guarantees a negotiated availability level of products during the warranty period. In order to satisfy the availability requirement of the warranted products with rational cost, two-dimensional preventive maintenance strategy is carried out by the manufacturer, which is scheduled by considering the age and usage of the warranted items. By optimizing two-dimensional preventive maintenance strategy, this study aims to meet products’ availability requirement with the lowest cost from the manufacturer’s perspective. Moreover, customized preventive maintenance programs are designed for different customer categories. Finally, we provide a numerical example to verify the effectiveness of the proposed availability-based warranty policy. The results demonstrate that two-dimensional preventive maintenance strategy is superior in terms of warranty cost and operational availability. Meanwhile, customized preventive maintenance policy is more beneficial to both the transaction sides.