PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEMS IN A SUGAR MILL

Abstract

The present work discusses the behaviour analysis & maintenance planning of the equipments in operation for the Sugar Plant, located nearby Roorkee. Equipments nature and behaviour are considered after the discussions with the concerned plant personnel. Equipment's failure and repair rates are taken from the maintenance sheet of the plant. The failure and repair rates are assumed to be constant. The mathematical modelling of the plant is done using Chapman-Kolmogorov birth-death technique, which is based on probability theory. The differential equations have been solved using Laplace transform technique. The expression for long run availability of the system is computed. The effect of various parameters on system availability is analyzed and on the basis of the analysis and after discussion with the concerned plant personnel, the maintenance schedule is prepared. Using Lagrange's multiplier technique the cost of maintenance and manpower is analyzed. By minimizing the maintenance and manpower cost allocation to various subsystems, the optimum repair policy is determined. Break even point i.e. minimum system availability is found out above which the system starts gaining the profit. The results may be useful for the management in running the system failure free as far as possible and may take the timely decisions to enhance the system availability