Reliability simulation model for systems with multiple intermediate storages

The reliability model presented in this paper describes a complex industrial system, which contains several intermediate storages. The model utilizes industrial data that in this case is mainly derived from engineer judgements. A method to incorporate intermediate storages into the reliability model, and the estimation of the influence of the storage capacity on the system reliability is presented. A mathematical description of an industrial system calls for numerous variables and dependencies, and analytical results are difficult to obtain. Simulation has proven to be an effective tool for analyzing the availability performance of industrial systems with intermediate storages. Bottlenecks of the production-sub-systems or pieces of equipment-can be easily found and alternative improvement strategies can be compared. A comprehensive and correctly constructed reliability model offers a new tool especially for the persons responsible for the maintenance planning and process design, and utilization of the model supports the decision making when improvements are planned. Model construction requires detailed knowledge of the system under study and the failure- and repair time distributions and their parameters must be known. The importance of reliable information has to be emphasized as incorrect distribution parameters in a simulation model can lead to misleading results.