Optimal Control of Failure-Prone Manufacturing Systems with Constant Repair Times

This paper considers a failure-prone manufacturing system with exponentially distributed operational times and constant repair times. Under the hedging-point policy, the steady-state probability density function of the buffer level is determined. The optimality of the hedging-point policy for this problem is proven, and analytical expressions for the computation of the optimal hedging point are determined. It is also shown that the optimal hedging point for the system with constant repair times provides a lower bound for the optimal hedging point for any other independent, identically distributed (iid) repair time sequence having the same mean. Using a queueing equivalence, an expression is derived for determining the optimal hedging point for any iid repair time sequence.     

可修C(2,3:F)系统的可靠性分析

考虑了由三个部件和一个维修工组成的线形可修系统.假定可修系统中的三个部件是相互独立的,每个部件的工作时间和维修时间均服从负指数分布.部件故障后不能修复如新以及关键部件具有优先维修权的情形下,利用几何过程与广义马尔可夫过程等数学工具对该系统的可靠性指标进行了深入的研究.我们得到了该系统的瞬时可用度,可靠度的L ap lace变换表达式.从而得到系统的稳态可用度及首次故障前的平均时间.为进一步探索线形可修系统、复杂串并联和复杂并串联系统提供了一条新途径.     

Mean First-passage Times for a <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-out-of-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> Sytem with Repair

Consider a k-out-of-n system where the lifetimes of the components are independent and identically distributed exponential (λ) random variables. Each component has its own repair facility, the repair times being independent and identically distributed exponential (μ) random variables, independent of the failure times. The mean operating time and mean repair time during the cycle between two successive breakdowns are found using renewal theory and the expression for the system availability. Using these, the mean first-passage times from any of the operating states of the system to the down state, and the mean first-passage times from any of the down states to the operating state are found recursively.     

Probabilistic analysis of a system with dependent units having a single repair facility subject to preventive maintenance

The paper deals with the availability and the reliability analysis of a system with dependent units having a single repair facility subject to preventive maintenance. The system initially consists of n-identical units (connected in parallel) each with failure rate λ_n. The failure rate of a unit at any given instant of time depends upon the number of units operating at that instant. The time to repair of a failed unit and the time for maintenance of the repair- facility are arbitrarily distributed whereas the time to failure of a unit is exponentially distributed. The results obtained have been compared with those obtained when the repair facility is not subject to preventive maintenance.     

Optimal deteriorating items production inventory models with random machine breakdown and stochastic repair time

This study develops deteriorating items production inventory models with random machine breakdown and stochastic repair time. The model assumes the machine repair time is independent of the machine breakdown rate. The classical optimization technique is used to derive an optimal solution. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are shown to illustrate the models. The stochastic repair models with uniformly distributed repair time tends to have a larger optimal total cost than the fixed repair time model, however the production up time is less than the fixed repair time model. Production and demand rate are the most sensitive parameters for the optimal production up time, and demand rate is the most sensitive parameter to the optimal total cost for the stochastic model with exponential distribution repair time.     

Models for multi-echelon repairable item inventory systems with limited repair capacity

The dominant models for inventory control of repairable items, both in the literature and in practical applications, are based on the assumption of ample repair capacity. This assumption can introduce a serious underestimation of the spare parts requirements in systems with high repair facility utilization, as is typical in industry. In this paper, we introduce approximations that can deal with limited repair facilities, under the scenarios of single-class exponentially distributed repair distributions, single-class general repair distribution, and multi-class general repair distributions. We provide numerical experiments that demonstrate how these models significantly outperform traditional models in the case of high repair facility utilization. Their ease of implementation is illustrated in a case study of the spare parts requirements at the Caracas subway system     

The Markovian Two-echelon Repairable Item Provisioning Problem

A repairable-item provisioning system with two levels of repair is presented. Under the assumption that the machine time-to-failure and the repair times are exponentially distributed, a new algorithm is developed to compute the long-run average number of machines operating. Using the new algorithm we determine the optimal number of machines and repair channels at the two repair centres to minimize cost and meet a service-level constraint. The algorithm, which is based on Little's result in queueing theory and the theory of regenerative processes, is extremely efficient in terms of computer storage and execution time.     

Bilevel control of degraded machining system with warm standbys, setup and vacation

In this paper, we study (N, L) switch-over policy for machine repair model with warm standbys and two repairmen. The repairman (R₁) turns on for repair only when N-failed units are accumulated and starts repair after a set up time which is assumed to be exponentially distributed. As soon as the system becomes empty, the repairman (R₁) leaves for a vacation and returns back when he finds the number of failed units in the system greater than or equal to a threshold value N. Second repairman (R₂) turns on when there are L(>N) failed units in the system and goes for a vacation if there are less than L failed units. The life time and repair time of failed units are assumed to be exponentially distributed. The steady state queue size distribution is obtained by using recursive method. Expressions for the average number of failed units in the queue and the average waiting time are established.     

可修Consecutive-k-out-of-n:G系统

本文研究了有一个修理的可修Consecutive-k-out-of-n:G系统。这个G系统是由n个相同且独立的部件构成的环形或直线系统,假定每个部件的工作时间和修理时间都是指数分布。我们引进了广泛转移概率和关键部件的概念,并假定一个关键部件具有较高的修理优先权,从而确定了系统状态的转移概率,同时讨论了系统的几种可靠性指标。     

一种新型的N部件串联可修系统及其可靠性分析

本文研究一种Ⅳ部件串联可修系统的一个新模型，该模型在经典。部件串联可修系统中引入了修理工可多重延误休假的概念，并且考虑了修理工使用修理设备在修理失效部件过程中可能因修理设备失效而立即更换修理设备对整个系统可靠性造成的影响,假定修理工的延误休假时间、部件的寿命和修理设备的寿命均服从指数分布，部件的修理时间、修理设备的更换时间和修理工的休假时间均服从一般连续型分布，通过使用补充变量法和广义马尔可夫过程方法得到了系统和修理设备的一些重要可靠性指标．     

Optimal management of the machine repair problem with working vacation: Newton’s method

This paper studies the M/M/1 machine repair problem with working vacation in which the server works with different repair rates rather than completely terminating the repair during a vacation period. We assume that the server begins the working vacation when the system is empty. The failure times, repair times, and vacation times are all assumed to be exponentially distributed. We use the MAPLE software to compute steady-state probabilities and several system performance measures. A cost model is derived to determine the optimal values of the number of operating machines and two different repair rates simultaneously, and maintain the system availability at a certain level. We use the direct search method and Newton’s method for unconstrained optimization to repeatedly find the global minimum value until the system availability constraint is satisfied. Some numerical examples are provided to illustrate Newton’s method.     

修理设备可更换的k/n(G)表决可修系统

研究了修理设备可更换的k/n(G)表决可修系统,其中修理设备在修理故障部件时可能发生失效.假定部件和修理设备的寿命服从负指数分布,故障部件的修理时间和修理设备的更换时间服从一般分布的条件下,利用马尔可夫更新过程理论和拉普拉斯变换(Laplace-Stieltjes变换),分别讨论了系统首次故障前的平均时间,可用度,故障频度及修理设备的不可用度和失效频度,获得了相关指标的递推表达式.在此基础上,给出了1/2(G)表决可修系统和(n-1)/n(G)表决可修系统相关可靠性指标的表达式.     

Geo/G/1 queues with disasters and general repair times

This paper discusses discrete-time single server Geo/G/1 queues that are subject to failure due to a disaster arrival. Upon a disaster arrival, all present customers leave the system. At a failure epoch, the server is turned off and the repair period immediately begins. The repair times are commonly distributed random variables. We derive the probability generating functions of the queue length distribution and the FCFS sojourn time distribution. Finally, some numerical examples are given.     

On modeling failure and repair times in stochastic models of manufacturing systems using generalized exponential distributions

Failures of machines have a significant effect on the behavior of manufacturing systems. As a result it is important to model this phenomenon. Many queueing models of manufacturing systems do incorporate the unreliability of the machines. Most models assume that the times to failure and the times to repair of each machine are exponentially distributed (or geometrically distributed in the case of discrete-time models). However, exponential distributions do not always accurately represent actual distributions encountered in real manufacturing systems. In this paper, we propose to model failure and repair time distributions bygeneralized exponential (GE) distributions (orgeneralized geometric distributions in the case of a discretetime model). The GE distribution can be used to approximate distributions with any coefficient of variation greater than one. The main contribution of the paper is to show that queueing models in which failure and repair times are represented by GE distributions can be analyzed with the same complexity as if these distributions were exponential. Indeed, we show that failures and repair times represented by GE distributions can (under certain assumptions) be equivalently represented by exponential distributions.This work was performed while the author was visiting the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.     

A Versatile Stochastic Maintenance Model with Reserve and Super-Reserve Machines

This article analyzes the maintenance of production system with unreliable machines. This system includes a repair facility and three types of unreliable machines: the main facility of working and reserve machines, and an auxiliary facility of super-reserve machines. Operating times of working machines are exponentially distributed. Upon failure, a working machine is immediately replaced by reserve machines available. Defective machines line up for repair, whose duration is arbitrarily distributed. Refurbished machines return to the main facility. If the main facility is restored to its original quantity (i.e., all machines are intact), the repair facility leaves on routine maintenance; all w+1 reserve machines are temporarily blocked and renewals come from the super-reserve group until the latter becomes exhausted. Then, the busy period is regenerated. The techniques include two-variate Markov and semi-regenerative processes, and a duality principle, to find the probability distribution of the number of intact machines. Explicit formulas obtained demonstrate a relatively effortless use of functionals of the main stochastic characteristics (such as expenses due to repair, maintenance, waiting, and rewards for higher reliability) and optimization of their objective function. Applications of such models include computer networking, human resources, and manufacturing processes.     

Optimal repair allocation in a series system expected discounted operation time criterion

Consider a series system with n repairable components maintained by a single repairman. The following assumptions are made. Component failure and repair times are independent, exponentially distributed, random variables. Component failures can occur even while the system is not functioning and it is possible to reassign the repairman among failed components instantaneously. It is shown that the policy which always assigns the repairman to the failed component with the smallest failure rate among the failed ones maximizes the expected discounted system operation time irrespective of the values of the repair rates and the discount rate     

ANALYSIS OF A PARALLEL SYSTEM WITH TWO DIFFERENT UNITS

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Optimal Continuous Policies for Repair and Replacement

This paper investigates the problem of finding optimal replacement policies for equipment subject to failures with randomly distributed repair costs, the degree of reliability of the equipment being considered as a state of a Markov process. Algorithms have been devised to find optimal combined policies both for preventive replacement and for replacement in case of failure by using repair-limit strategies.First a simple procedure to obtain an optimal discrete policy is described. Then an algorithm is formulated in order to calculate an optimal continuous policy: it is shown how the optimal repair limit is the solution to an ordinary differential equation, and how the value of the repair limit determines the optimal preventive replacement policy.     

The 〈G<Emphasis Type="Italic">/M/r/</Emphasis>FIFO〉 Machine-Interference Model with State-Dependent Speeds

This article treats a version of the multiple machine-interference problem with r operatives under FIFO repair discipline. The running times of machine i are supposed to be identically and arbitrarily distributed random variables with density function f _i (x), i = 1,…, n. The repair times of all machines are assumed to be identically and exponentially distributed random variables with mean 1/μ. The paper provides the main steady-state operational characteristics of the system when the running and repair speeds are dependent on the number of machines in working order.     

具有易损坏储备部件复杂可修系统解的半离散化

讨论了易损坏部件对系统的影响,且故障系统的修复时间是任意分布的.并对修复率μi(x)用初等阶梯函数进行逼近,给出了系统的半离散化模型,为进一步的数值计算打下基础.