Equipment maintainability and its influencing factors analysis based on grey system theory

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to solve the comprehensive evaluation of the equipment maintainability level based on grey system theory, and make an analysis of the corresponding influencing factors and their prioritization process.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering the diversity, uncertainty and small sample size of the influencing factors of the equipment maintainability level, a multilayer evaluation attribute system is set up, and the grey relational method is utilized to assess the equipment's comprehensive maintainability. First, the bottom layer relational coefficient and weighted relational degree are analyzed, and, by means of the focus of relational degree through the bottom layer to top layer, the general evaluation of the equipment maintainability is carried out. Second, the equipment maintainability level and its influencing factors model, i.e. GM(1,N) model are set up, and the prioritization of the influencing factors is achieved through the comparison of the size of the model drive coefficients. Finally, the practical example calculation results show that this method has not only realized a sensible and effective evaluation of the equipment maintainability level, but also provided a prioritization of the influencing factors, which helps to focus attention on the major influencing factors and make this method of significant engineering application value in the improvement of the equipment maintainability level.

Findings

The modeling of electronic equipment maintainability level and analysis of its corresponding practical example prove that grey system theory could not only perform a comprehensive evaluation of the equipment maintainability level, but also provide a quantitative analysis of its various influencing factors, whereas, other methods such as fuzzy mathematics, etc. can only make a general evaluation of the equipment maintainability level.

Practical implications

This paper has realized an integral evaluation of the equipment maintainability level and has made an analysis of the prioritization of its various influencing factors. These investigation results could be introduced as a promising innovative idea in the evaluation of the equipments' other performances and the prioritization of its various corresponding influencing factors.

Originality/value

Considering the diversity and uncertainty of influencing factors of the equipment maintainability level, this paper has realized a multilayer evaluation attribute system to perform a comprehensive evaluation of equipment maintainability level by means of weighted grey relational degree model. Furthermore, the prioritization of its various influencing factors is achieved based on the GM(1,N) model.

Citation

Ke, H., Du, H., He, K. and Yu, X. (2012), "Equipment maintainability and its influencing factors analysis based on grey system theory", Grey Systems: Theory and Application, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 427-436. https://doi.org/10.1108/20439371211273302