Fuzzy reliability analysis of repairable industrial systems using soft-computing based hybridized techniques

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the fuzzy reliability of a repairable industrial system utilizing historical vague, imprecise and uncertain data which reflects its components' failure and repair pattern. Soft-computing based two different hybridized techniques named as Genetic Algorithms Based Lambda-Tau (GABLT) and Neural Network and Genetic Algorithms Based Lambda-Tau (NGABLT) along with a traditional Fuzzy Lambda-Tau (FLT) technique are used to evaluate some important reliability indices of the system in the form of fuzzy membership functions. As a case study, all the three techniques are applied to analyse the fuzzy reliability of the washing system in a paper mill and results are compared. Sensitivity analysis has also been performed to analyze the effect of variation of different reliability parameters on system performance. The analysis can help maintenance personnel to understand and plan suitable maintenance strategy to improve the overall performance of the system. Based on results some important suggestions are given for future course of action in maintenance planning. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.