Process design for maintainability: an optimization approach

Process design and operation is typically concerned with the optimal selection and efficient utilization of assets and resources during a time horizon of interest. The degree of utilization of these assets (e.g. equipment units) and resources, however, is critically associated with the availability level of equipment components, which is determined by the initial reliability characteristics and the implemented maintenance policy. This work introduces a system effectiveness optimization framework to properly account for maintainability characteristics at the process design level. This requires: (i) the quantification of the impact of process design on the selection of optimal maintenance policies, and (ii) the consideration of the interactions between production and maintenance planning in the operation phase of the process. The overall problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model and the applicability of the latter model is demonstrated by a numerical example. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.