Integration of the PROMETHEE II method with a delay time model for defining an inspection policy for electrical wiring systems ́ components

Abstract

In the past, maintenance was seen as a necessary evil that generates only industrial costs and its function was only focused on the "broke, fix" policy. However, this view has changed, since the advantages of adopting maintenance strategies have gained increasing visibility, mainly due to the importance of preserving the functional state of an item, the main outputs from maintenance concept development which collaborates to prevent failures and to prevent industrial accidents, both of which could generate consequences of magnitudes, which go beyond economic impacts. Thus, due to the need to establish maintenance strategies in the midst of a competitive market for electrical wire systems, this thesis proposes a model for evaluating inspection policies based on two criteria called Cost – Q(T) and Mean Time Between Operational Failure – MTBOF(T) in order to determine the interval between inspections for the electrical wiring systems, considering the delay-time concept for modelling the failure process of components. In addition, the proposed model is constructed from a multicriteria perspective, considering the PROMETHEE II method for dealing with the conflict in a decision-maker's objectives. The application shows, how the model can be used to support decisions in real contexts that allow not just to find a recommendation for time between inspections (T), but also gives the decision-maker the possibility of choosing the best time for the inspection. This arises because the model gives besides the first most preferable alternative, an order with the preferable alternatives.