Optimal parameters design and maintenance interval for a product with quality and cost considerations

Abstract Damage due to deterioration and failure may terminate product life at an earlier time than would normally be the case, and the results may include costly expenses and personal injuries. Hence, a design that takes into account the parameters of compensation and periodic maintenance to alleviate the negative impact of deterioration is essential. In addition, the tolerance value is an important factor affecting product cost and performance quality, which must also be decided in an appropriate manner. In this research, an optimization model considers the minimization of the total cost, including quality loss, minor maintenance cost, and major maintenance cost (tolerance cost), by conducting simultaneous optimization of the decision variables, such as initial setting, process mean, process tolerance, and maintenance interval. Finally, an example of a multicomponent product under the process of deterioration is presented for demonstration. A sensitivity analysis for various parameter values and a comparison with previously developed models are carried out to show the importance of including deterioration in a model. Clearly, the significance of the proposed model encountering the deteriorating process and product failure becomes evident in terms of enhanced quality and the minimal total cost of a product.