Simulating breakdowns: a taxonomy for modelling

This article provides a classification system, that is, taxonomy for modelling breakdowns for discrete‐event simulation. The taxonomy has four parameters; the mode (single or multimodal), delay time (whether the breakdown is instantaneous or delayed), load condition (what happens to the current unit of production), and the basis for time to failure (elapsed time, usage time, or cycle count). Four examples are given to show how the taxonomy is applied. As a possible fifth parameter, starvation, blocking, and jamming are described. Although the context is manufacturing, other types of systems could follow the taxonomy.