| Article ID: | iaor2003560 |
| Country: | United States |
| Volume: | MR-1431-AF |
| Start Page Number: | 1 |
| End Page Number: | 80 |
| Publication Date: | Jan 2002 |
| Journal: | RAND-Project Air Force |
| Authors: | Amouzegar Mahyar A., Galway Lionel A., Geller Amanda |
| Keywords: | simulation: applications, maintenance, repair & replacement, personnel & manpower planning, scheduling |
This book reviews options for Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance (JEIM) structures for F100 series engines on F-15 and F-16 aircraft and TF-34 engines on A-10 aircraft. Expeditionary requirements for quick deployment with minimal transportation raise the question of whether JEIM ought to be centralized. Increasing technical complexity of engines, potential gains from economies of scale, and changes in experience levels of technicians favor centralization. Working against centralization is the difficulty in transporting engines and the numerous time change technical orders that may be difficult to execute for engines not receiving immediate attention in a centralized structure. The authors have developed a closed-loop discrete simulation tool to analyze the complex dynamics of a JEIM shop. The model replicates the interaction among the components of the maintenance system, while incorporating the random variations or uncertainties typical of a dynamic system. Using the tool, we were able to analyze a number of possible support configurations for the JEIM involving various combinations of centralized and decentralized locations. The simulation models allowed us to compare several alternatives for maintenance support across different scenarios.