Maintenance critical analysis and priority index: A new model for maintenance policy

Industrial processes are realized according to production levels established in the design phase. Proper maintenance of machines involved in the process guarantees the compliance of these levels over time, ensuring adequate availability standards of plant and machinery. Conversely, inadequate maintenance can affect a decrease of production levels. In this case, the company may not respect the demands of customers, resulting in economic losses, which may affect its survival. In this paper, a new procedure is proposed, in order to develop a useful tool to support the design of maintenance. The proposed procedure is based on the identification of the main factors influencing availability and maintenance of industrial plants, then summarized through appropriate indices. Indices analysis allows the identification of the guidelines, to optimize the maintenance of the units. This tool allows an appropriate allocation of budgets to maintenance activities, right for machines or units that are strategic to ensure production.