An optimal screening policy for heterogeneous items with minimal repairs

Abstract

This article proposes a screening policy for heterogeneous repairable items, where each item is minimally repaired at failure and a limited number of minimal repairs is available. The item is replaced when the predetermined age is reached, the number of minimal repairs exceeds the upper limit, or the number of minimal repairs at the screening time exceeds the screening threshold, whichever occurs first. We show that the proposed screening policy is superior to the age replacement policy with repair number limit in terms of probability. The corresponding cost model is derived and an illustrative example is also presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Heterogeneous items
• screening policy
• age replacement
• minimal repair

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful comments which have improved the earlier version of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72071071) and the Young Talent Support Plan of Hebei Province.