Title: Optimum number of minimal repairs for a system under increasing failure rate shock model with cumulative repair-cost limit

Authors: Min-Tsai Lai

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Nan-Tai Street, Yongkang Dist., Tainan City 710, Taiwan

Abstract: In this paper, a replacement model for a system subject to an increasing failure rate shock process, incorporating a cumulative repair-cost-limit, is presented. The shocks are divided into two types: type I and type II shocks. Type I shocks increase the failure rate of the system along with the age of the system and make the system eventually into a minor failure. Type II shocks whenever they occur make the system a critical failure. A minor failure is corrected by minimal repair, while a critical failure is rectified by replacement. The system is replaced at n-th minor failure, or a minor failure at which the accumulated repair cost exceeds a pre-determined threshold L, or at a critical failure. The minimum-cost replacement policy is studied and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the effect of model parameters on the optimal number n*.

Keywords: discrete replacement policy; increasing failure rate shock model; cumulative repair-cost-limit; minimal repair; replacement models.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRS.2013.056375

International Journal of Reliability and Safety, 2013 Vol.7 No.2, pp.95 - 107

Received: 15 Apr 2012
Accepted: 09 Sep 2012

Published online: 20 Sep 2014 *

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