Cost-Optimal Preventive Maintenance and Parts Replacement Schedule Using Mixed Integer Linear Programming

A proper maintenance program is a key to achieving maximum profit by minimizing the total maintenance cost and number of shutdowns. This paper presents a framework for preventive maintenance scheduling for the equipment and highlights for mining industries. The present study describes the normal practice of equipment maintenance and the limitations of the practice. It is based on either no loss in equipment life or minimum loss in equipment life through combining a few maintenances at a time. Here, the authors present, a mixed integer linear programming-based optimization model to determine the optimal maintenance schedule and the model also minimized maintenance costs. The proposed optimization model is efficient to provide much lesser maintenance cost and reduced number of shutdowns than the present practice. When the maintenance schedule is compared with the present practice, the proposed model provides 14% lesser maintenance cost and 41% lesser number of shutdowns. It has been observed that the model is suitable for generating an optimal maintenance schedule of complex mining equipment like continuous miner, road header, dragline, etc. Therefore, the proposed model may be a guide to the maintenance Engineer to take decisions easily to make the optimized maintenance plan for the greater performance of the equipment. © The Institution of Engineers (India) 2023.