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An integrated fuzzy-AHP and TOPSIS approach for maintenance policy selection

Narges Hemmati (Faculty of Industrial Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Mazandaran, Behshahr, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
Masoud Rahiminezhad Galankashi (Department of Materials, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia) (Department of Industrial Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
D.M. Imani (Welding and Joining Research Center, School of Industrial Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
Farimah Mokhatab Rafiei (Department of Industrial Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, The Islamic Republic of Iran)

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

ISSN: 0265-671X

Article publication date: 10 December 2019

Issue publication date: 7 December 2020

345

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to select the best maintenance policy for different types of equipment of a manufacturer integrating the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) models.

Design/methodology/approach

The decision hierarchy of this research includes three levels. The first level aims to choose the best maintenance policy for different types of equipment of an acid manufacturer. These equipment pieces include molten sulfur ponds, boiler, absorption tower, cooling towers, converter, heat exchanger and sulfur fuel furnace. The second level includes decision criteria of added-value, risk level and the cost. Lastly, the third level comprises time-based maintenance (TBM), corrective maintenance (CM), shutdown maintenance and condition-based maintenance (CBM) as four maintenance policies.

Findings

The best maintenance policy for different types of equipment of a manufacturer is the main finding of this research. Based on the obtained results, CBM policy is suggested for absorption tower, boiler, cooling tower and molten sulfur ponds, TBM policy is suggested for converters and heat exchanger and CM policy is suggested for a sulfur fuel furnace.

Originality/value

This research develops a novel model by integrating FAHP and an interval TOPSIS with concurrent consideration of added-value, risk level and cost to select the best maintenance policy. According to the highlights of the previous studies conducted on maintenance policy selection and related tools and techniques, an operative integrated approach to combine risk, added-value and cost with integrated fuzzy models is not developed yet. The majority of the previous studies have considered classic fuzzy approaches such as FAHP, FANP, Fuzzy TOPSIS, etc., which are not completely capable to reflect the decision makers’ viewpoints.

Keywords

Citation

Hemmati, N., Rahiminezhad Galankashi, M., Imani, D.M. and Mokhatab Rafiei, F. (2020), "An integrated fuzzy-AHP and TOPSIS approach for maintenance policy selection", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 37 No. 9/10, pp. 1275-1299. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-10-2018-0283

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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