Important degree evaluation of test equipment based on fuzzy DEMATEL and fuzzy hierarchical TOPSIS

The preventive maintenance requirement of test equipment is determined by the reliability centered maintenance (RCM) analysis. In the first step of RCM analysis procedure, the important degree evaluations of test equipment play a significant way to identify the functionally significant item (FSI) list. To evaluate the important degree of test equipment, a systematic methodology integrating the fuzzy “decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory” (DEMATEL) method and the hierarchical fuzzy “technique for order reference by similarity to ideal solution” (TOPSIS) method is proposed. According to the designed hierarchical criteria about important degree evaluation for test equipment, the fuzzy DEMATEL method is used to determine the value of the criteria weights and hierarchical fuzzy TOPSIS method is used for rating the important degree of alternative components. After the steps of the hybrid method are listed, a case study about a certain type of test equipment is presented to illustrate its effectiveness.