A model for reliability analysis of multi-state manufacturing systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reliability analysis of a multi-state manufacturing system with different performance levels. In, fact, reliability assessment of manufacturing systems gives a reasonable demonstration of system performance. Design/methodology/approach – This research utilizes a multi-state system reliability analysis to develop a new metric for evaluating production systems. Findings – The proposed model provides a sensible measure to assess the system situation against the best-case scenario of a production line. Originality/value – The proposed model incorporates not only failures that stop production but also deals with partial failures where the system continues to operate at reduced performance rates. The analyses are represented in a best-case vs worst-case situation. Each of these cases provides insight for managers with respect to planning operation and maintenance activities.