Integrated model of control chart and maintenance management with costs of production losses

According to many authors the role of maintenance management in improving production quality is particularly important. In literature, this issue has been discussed mainly considering the adoption of statistical process control as a way to prevent out-of-control production. However, most methodologies are characterized by the optimization of maintenance cycle costs without considering the consequences that out-of-control processes have on production cycles. On these considerations, the paper presents a monitoring maintenance model in which costs of production losses are considered. Proposed methodology is applied to a case study in a pharmaceutical plant where avoid production losses is particularly important. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group.