Abstract:

The quality requirements imposed on the economic activity can be achieved only by complying with the conditions in which the equipment used in the production process is replaced, at the right time, with others that satisfy the restrictions imposed by the increase of the productivity addressed to the system. The establishment of an equipment life is a problem of economic balance. Due to the wear that occurs over time, the maintenance and operating costs increase. The costs increase until they exceed the acquisition costs of new equipment. The research methodology consists in establishing the most suitable functions for the maintenance and operation costs and for the acquisition costs of new equipment and in identifying the minimum value of the sum of the two categories of costs. For considering the real situations, a value for costs update in time is also included in this calculation. The theoretical considerations are supported by a case study in which the economic moment of replacing an equipment is established by using one of the mathematical models presented.