Calculation of the Actual Cost of Engine Maintenance

The cost of military operations has been difficult to determine, yet considered of high importance. The cost of an operation is largely dependent upon the answers to subordinate questions involving the discrete costs of military activities, like supporting individual items, While different cost estimates have received attention from the media, the question arises as to how accurate these figures are, There have been numerous studies performed by the Operations Research analysts to minimize costs while allocating scarce resources, However, the values of these studies are dependent upon whether or not the cost figures used are sufficiently true or accurate, This research deals with the true representation of cost, in particular true cost of engine maintenance, In order to reach that goal, the thesis effort aimed to first look at the archival methods and models used to prepare cost estimations for a weapon system or a task performed in the Air Force, The engine maintenance is one and an important one of these tasks, Looking at those previous studies gained us insight on what the cost elements and factors might be, The research also looks at some of the current practices serving the same purpose, The characteristics of all of those models are also discussed briefly, Four analytical steps helped to come up with the cost elements that should go into the actual total cost of engine maintenance at the Base or Wing Level, The research provides detailed definitions of these consolidated elements and the relationships between them, The research also presents ways to gather the required data out of several databases whose functions and data types are also briefly discussed, A case study would not be possible due to the fact that the data was not accessible

On the Selection of Computer Models to Analyze Support Requirements for Weapon Systems

The purpose of this paper is to present guidelines for integrating computer models to perform logistic support analysis. The nature of logistics support analysis is outlined and the need for combining models to perform certain analyses is detailed. The actual construction of such a model set is reported and the features of this set are used as a basis for discussion. Included in the set are the Network Repair Level Analysis, MOD-METRIC and Logistics Support Cost Models

Simulation modelling of service contracts within the context of Product-Service Systems (PSS).

This thesis deals with the decision support tools for service contracting within the context of Product-Service Systems (PSS). The research contributes to the modelling constructs that can support modellers in developing service contract simulation models in an effective and efficient manner. Overall, the models can assist manufacturers to understand implications of contracting decisions that may either lead to profitable solutions or loss of business opportunities. PSS is recognised as a survival strategy for many manufacturers to sustain their market competitiveness. It is an emerging manufacturing paradigm that integrates services into products to ensure the required capability or availability of products. This concept is often delivered as long-term service contracts which can be made in separation or together with product acquisition. As the contracts can span over decades, the manufacturers need to absorb the future risks. For this reason, a decision support tool that allows the risks and rewards to be visualised and ultimately support contract design is in urgent need. However, PSS has various characteristics beyond the traditional product-selling businesses and involves potential dynamic behaviour. Existing tools are inadequate to effectively analyse the issues and also to be reused across cases or during the contract delivery phase. For this reason, this thesis intends to provide modelling constructs that enhance effective and efficient development of simulation models for PSS offerings To accomplish this aim, various simulation modelling techniques have been first explored from the literature and through the practical model developments to identify the backbone of the constructs. The hybrid Discrete-Event Simulation and Agent-Based Simulation has subsequently been selected as the most suitable technique to represent the PSS cases. This technique was applied in four reported cases to generalise the modelling approach. All the developed models have been verified and validated using several methods. The approach was then analysed and refined to enhance efficiency in building models. The refined approach was used to form the modelling constructs. The constructs were validated using three other cases and tested by three other modellers with different simulation background. The results have demonstrated the applicability, practicality, feasibility, and efficiency of the constructs. The outcomes of this research are the final modelling constructs which provide significant contributions academically and practically. Academically, this research provides a new way of capturing PSS characteristics and dynamic behaviour, and brings together PSS theoretical research, operational planning and decision support tools. Practically, manufacturers can effectively analyse the implication of service contracts and modellers can rapidly develop service contract simulation models

SIMULATING CONSUMABLE ORDER FULFILLMENT VIA ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES

Operational availability of naval aircraft through material readiness is critical to ensuring combat power. Supportability of aircraft is a crucial aspect of readiness, influenced by several factors including access to 9B Cognizance Code (COG) aviation consumable repair parts at various supply echelons. Rapidly evolving additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are transforming supply chain dynamics and the traditional aircraft supportability construct. As of June 2022, there are 595 AM assets within the Navy’s inventory—all for research and development purposes. This report simulates 9B COG aviation consumable fulfillment strategies within the U.S. Indo-Pacific sustainment network for a three-year span, inclusive of traditional supply support avenues and a developed set of user-variable capability inputs. Simulated probabilistic demand configurations are modeled from historical trends that exploit a heuristic methodology to assign a “printability” score to each 9B COG requirement, accounting for uncertainty, machine failure rates, and other continuous characteristics of the simulated orders. The results measure simulated lead time across diverse planning horizons in both current and varied operationalized AM sustainment network configurations. This research indicates a measurable lead time reduction of approximately 10% across all 9B order lead times when AM is employed as an order fulfillment source for only 0.5% of orders.NPS Naval Research ProgramThis project was funded in part by the NPS Naval Research Program.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Integrated Systems Health Management as an Enabler for Condition Based Maintenance and Autonomic Logistics

Health monitoring systems have demonstrated the ability to detect potential failures in components and predict how long until a critical failure is likely to occur. Implementing these systems on fielded structures, aircraft, or other vehicles is often a struggle to prove cost savings or operational improvements beyond improved safety. A system architecture to identify how the health monitoring systems are integrated into fielded aircraft is developed to assess cost, operations, maintenance, and logistics trade-spaces. The efficiency of a health monitoring system is examined for impacts to the operation of a squadron of cargo aircraft revealing sensitivity to and tolerance for false alarms as a key factor in total system performance. The research focuses on the impacts of system-wide changes to several key metrics: materiel availability, materiel reliability, ownership cost, and mean downtime. Changes to theses system-wide variables include: diagnostic and prognostic error, false alarm sensitivity, supply methods and timing, maintenance manning, and maintenance repair window. Potential cost savings in maintenance and logistics processes are identified as well as increases in operational availability. The result of this research is the development of a tool to conduct trade-space analyses on the effects of health monitoring techniques on system performance and operations and maintenance costs

Inventory optimization in high volume aerospace supply chains

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. [51]).The supply chains of aerospace products can be complex, involving thousands of components per product and hundreds of vendors spaced out over an increasingly global landscape. Managing all inputs necessary for these complex aerospace supply chains is a task that is critical to the success of any firm and requires extensive planning, close partnerships, and detailed analysis. This thesis outlines a system for optimal safety stock management in high volume aerospace supply chains. Given such supply chain parameters as component inventory values, procurement and manufacturing lead times, demand distributions, and bills of material, the ideal safety stock locations and sizes which result in minimal overall inventory levels are calculated by a nonlinear optimization program. With this safety stock structure, aerospace firms can operate their supply chains with higher customer service rates and lower inventory levels. A methodology is also developed to help aerospace companies improve their existing supply chains as efficiently as possible. Considering the limited time and resources available, a company may not be able to enhance all areas of its operations and determining where to improve with the greatest effect on customer service levels and inventory can be difficult. The framework developed provides general guidelines to ensure improvement resources are being deployed most efficiently. Finally, business environment and operations considerations are discussed to aid companies in the process of implementing supply chain improvements and instituting organizational change.by Brian Robert Masse.S.M.M.B.A

Management: A continuing literature survey with indexes, March 1977

This literature survey lists 346 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in 1976

Inherent Jeopardy of Performance Based Contracting Metrics: A Simulation Experiment

There is a growing trend across the world to adopt Performance Based Contracting strategies to support logistics systems. Using these policies, contract payments are strongly related to the performance achieved compared to prespecified metrics. However, managers are not always confident on what are the most suitable performance goals to use in these agreements. As a consequence, contractors struggle to deliver the desired performance results, while aircraft fleets experience an increase in support costs. And when the results are inadequate, leaders are tempted to impose even more performance targets to contractors, willing to exercise more control over the support organization. In this research, simulation is used to provide quantitative evidence of how sensitive life support costs are to adding metrics to a performance-based contract, with a focus on changes in turnaround times and repair costs, for different logistical configurations. The study acknowledges the potential risk of adding intermediate metrics to these contracts, which possibly will only raise life support costs without a positive effect on the main objectives of a fleet: mission readiness or simply availability. Ultimate negative effects on contractors are also discussed and recommendations are provided to managers on how they could design more successful performance-based contracts

A through-life costing methodology for use in product-service-systems

Availability-based contracts which provide customers with the use of assets such as machines, ships, aircraft platforms or subsystems like engines and avionics are increasingly offered as an alternative to the purchase of an asset and separate support contracts. The cost of servicing a durable product can be addressed by Through-life Costing (TLC). Providers of advanced services are now concerned with the cost of delivering outcomes that meet customer requirements using combinations of assets and activities via a Product Service System (PSS). This paper addresses the question: To what extent are the current approaches to TLC methodologically appropriate for costing the provision of advanced services, particularly availability, through a PSS? A novel methodology for TLC is outlined addressing the challenges of PSS cost assessment with regard to 'what?' (cost object), 'why/to what extent?' (scope and boundaries), and 'how?' (computations). The research provides clarity for those seeking to cost availability in a performance-orientated contractual setting and provides insight to the measures that may be associated with it. In particular, a reductionist approach that focuses on one cost object at a time is not appropriate for a PSS. Costing an advanced service delivered through a PSS is a problem of attributing the value of means to the economic activities carried out for specific ends to be achieved. Cost results from the interplay between monetary and non-monetary metrics, and uncertainties thereof. Whilst seeking to ensure generality of the findings, the application of TLC examined here is limited to a military aircraft platform and subsystems. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

An RUL-informed approach for life extension of high-value assets

The conventional approaches for life-extension (LE) of industrial assets are largely qualitative and focus only on a few indicators at the end of an asset’s design life. However, an asset may consist of numerous individual components with different useful lives and therefore applying a single LE strategy to every component will not result in an efficient outcome. In recent years, many advanced analytics techniques have been proposed to estimate the remaining useful life (RUL) of the assets equipped with sensor technology. This paper proposes a data-driven model for LE decision-making based on RUL values predicted on a real-time basis during the asset’s operational life. Our proposed LE model is conceptually targeted at the component, unit, or subsystem level; however, an asset-level decision is made by aggregating information across all components. Consequently, LE is viewed and assessed as a series of ongoing activities, albeit carefully orchestrated in a manner similar to operation and maintenance (O&M). The application of the model is demonstrated using the publicly available NASA C-MAPSS dataset for large commercial turbofan engines. This approach will be very beneficial to asset owners and maintenance engineers as it seamlessly weaves LE strategies into O&M activities, thus optimizing resources