A general discrete-time dynamic programming model for the opportunistic replacement policy and its application to ball-bearing systems

A general discrete-time, stochastic, dynamic-programming model of opportunistic corrective and preventive replacement policy is presented for multi-component systems with a different life distribution for each component. An approach to optimize the corrective and preventive maintenance policy is proposed, which is based on the introduction of the ‘oldest age’ concept and an ‘array dimensionality reduction technique’. The application of this policy to ball-bearing systems has resulted in considerable savings, as this paper demonstrates.