Maintenance Performance Determinants

1. Summary

The statistical analysis reveals several key factors influencing maintenance performance across various plants. Equipment start month plays a significant role, with July and June showing notably lower failure risks. Certain equipment IDs demonstrate significantly higher maintenance risks, potentially due to transport damage or other specific issues. The operating system version, particularly v2.1 Vanguard, is associated with increased maintenance needs, likely due to reported bugs and calibration issues. Location also impacts maintenance, with Houston showing higher risks, possibly related to humidity and corrosion problems. Flow rate and pressure have moderate effects on maintenance performance. These insights provide valuable direction for improving maintenance strategies and equipment reliability.

2. Key findings

Equipment Start Month

Possible causes: Seasonal factors, maintenance schedules, or operational practices specific to these months may contribute to better performance.

Specific Equipment IDs

Possible cause: Potential damage during transport, as noted in observations for these equipment IDs.

Operating System Version

Possible causes: Critical bugs, calibration accuracy issues, and operational efficiency impacts reported for this version.

Location

Possible causes: Humidity issues and corrosion problems noted for equipment in this location.

Flow Rate and Pressure

Possible causes: Operating outside recommended flow rate ranges, mechanical stress, and potential pipeline erosion or fouling.

3. Method

The analysis uses a Cox Proportional Hazard model, a statistical method for investigating the impact of several variables on the time it takes for a specific event (in this case, equipment failure or maintenance need) to happen. The model estimates how different factors affect the risk of failure, expressed as risk multipliers. A risk multiplier greater than 1 indicates an increased risk, while less than 1 indicates a decreased risk. The model assumes that the effects of the variables on the hazard rate are constant over time (the proportional hazards assumption). It's important to note that while this model identifies significant factors and their relative impact, it doesn't directly prove causation. The results should be interpreted in conjunction with domain knowledge and further investigation. Limitations include potential biases in data collection, unmeasured confounding factors, and the assumption of proportional hazards which may not always hold in real-world scenarios.