Automated scheduling using Condition Based Maintenance

Maintenance scheduling of machines and their various components can be logistically challenging for a firm or factory. Traditional maintenance schedules are produced using time based preventive maintenance guidelines. But the preventive maintenance is imprecise as a machine might need a repair before the scheduled timeline due to over-use or premature failure of certain parts. Preventive Maintenance also may cause unneeded repair of parts that still have remaining useful life. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) is a proactive maintenance approach that takes into account the real conditions of the parts using sensors and then offers guidelines to predict the functional failure ahead. The automated scheduling model that we describe here takes the CBM input into account along with the preventive maintenance guidelines, availability of parts, facilities and numerous other constraints to come up with optimum maintenance schedule. The automated scheduler is developed using Gecode based on Finite Domain Constraint paradigm that can take multiple constraints to model the various eccentricities of the scheduling problem. Other logistical support systems (e.g., ordering of parts, machinists etc) can also be scheduled using the Automated Scheduler alongside with scheduling maintenance of a machine. Since the scheduler can be run anytime, the most deserving candidate will be selected for maintenance at a given time. This will improve efficiency and reduce support cost by repairing the machine that is of urgent need.