A Decision Support Framework for Maintenance Prioritization of Feeding Unit in a Sugar Industry

Abstract

This paper outlines a comprehensive decision support framework for optimizing the maintenance of a feeding unit in a sugar manufacturing plant. It emphasizes the crucial role of feeding units in ensuring continuous and efficient plant operations, directly influencing raw material flow, process stability, and overall productivity. The primary challenge addressed is maintaining high reliability and performance while minimizing downtime and maintenance expenses. The framework integrates Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) principles, employing Markov processes to develop probabilistic models and assess system behavior under varying failure and repair conditions. A Decision Support System (DSS) is designed with decision matrices to prioritize maintenance tasks for feeding unit subsystems and facilitate optimal resource allocation. This study provides insights into operational reliability of feeding systems and demonstrates how data-driven optimization supports maintenance planning, ultimately improving system availability. These findings are of practical importance for maintenance engineers and decision-makers in sugar processing plants.