What is average repair time?
Definition of MTTR
Mean Time To Repair is a key performance indicator that measures the average time required to repair an equipment or system failure and return it to service. It is usually expressed in hours and is calculated by dividing the total time spent repairing faults by the number of faults in a given period.
A low MTTR indicates that the company is able to repair failures quickly, which minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity. A high MTTR, on the other hand, could signal problems such as inefficient maintenance procedures, a lack of spare parts, or a lack of workforce skills.
What is the importance of MTTR in industrial maintenance?
In industrial maintenance, MTTR is of crucial importance. If it is high, it means that equipment is out of service for a longer duration, leading to production downtime and financial losses. Additionally, it can also affect product quality and customer satisfaction, who expect timely delivery.
Its optimization allows factories to improve their performance and competitiveness. Therefore, it is essential to develop strategies to reduce MTTR and adapt to modern maintenance methods.
What are the differences between MTTR, MTBF and MTTF?
What is Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)?
The mean time between failure, or Mean Time Between Failures, is an ireliability indicator used to evaluate the performance and the sustainability of a system or equipment. This is the average time between two consecutive incidents. of a non-repairable system. MTBF is typically expressed in hours and provides a valuable measure of system reliability, especially in high-tech industries.
MTBF is typically used in the context of equipment that can be repaired and returned to service after a breakdown. It is particularly useful in sectors such as aeronautics, automobiles, and manufacturing, where the time between two failures can have significant implications on production and safety.
Mean time to failure (MTTF)
If the MTBF concerns repairable systems, the MTTF, or Mean Time To Failure, applies to non-repairable systemss. This is the average time before a non-repairable system or equipment fails. It is also expressed in hours and is an important indicator of the expected life of a piece of equipment.
MTTF is a key indicator in industries where equipment is designed to be replaced rather than repaired after a failure. Think about light bulbs, for example. They are not repaired when they break down; they are simply replaced. It therefore provides a measure of the average useful life of such a system before it fails.
How to Calculate MTTR, MTBF and MTTF?
Calculation of MTTR
MTTR is calculated by dividing the total repair time by the total number of repairs performed during a given period.
MTTR = Total repair time / Total number of repairs
Let's take an example. If a company spent 100 hours repairing faults over a one-year period and had to complete 20 repairs during that same period, the MTTR would be:
MTTR = 100 hours / 20 = 5 hours
This means that, on average, the company spent 5 hours repairing an outage.
Calculation of MTBF
MTBF is calculated by dividing the operating time by the number of failures that occurred during a given period.
MTBF = Total operating time / Total number of failures
For example, if a system operated for 10,000 hours and suffered 50 failures during this period, the MTBF would be:
MTBF = 10,000 hours / 50 = 200 hours
This means that, on average, the system fails every 200 hours.
Calculation of MTTF
MTTF is similar to MTBF, but it applies to equipment that is not intended for repair. It is calculated by dividing the operating time before failure by the number of systems.
MTTF = Total Uptime to Failure / Total Number of Systems
Let's say a company has 1000 identical systems that all ran for 500,000 hours before having a problem. The MTTF would be:
MTTF = 500,000 hours / 1000 = 500 hours
This means that, on average, a system can operate for 500 hours before having an incident.
The difference between MTTR, MTBF and MTTF in Maintenance Management
MTTR: A measure of repair effectiveness
MTTR is a measure of the efficiency of your repair processes. A shorter MTTR means you are able to repair faults more quickly, minimizing downtime and maximizing system availability.
MTBF: A Reliability Indicator
MTBF is an indicator of the reliability of a system. A higher MTBF means the system is less likely to fail, which can help reduce maintenance costs and improve customer satisfaction.
MTTF: A lifespan prediction
MTTF, on the other hand, is a prediction of the lifespan of non-repairable equipment or systems. A higher MTTF indicates a longer lifespan, which can help with planning and budgeting for equipment replacements.
MTTR vs MTBF vs MTTF: A Necessary Balance
Ultimately, maintenance management requires a balance between these three indicators. Effective maintenance should aim to reduce MTTR, increase MTBF for repairable systems, and maximize MTTF for non-repairable systems.
Why reduce the average repair time?
Impact of MTTR on operational efficiency
The MTTR has a direct impact on operational efficiency. The longer the MTTR, the longer the downtime. Every minute that machines are out of service costs the company money in lost production. By reducing MTTR, businesses can reduce downtime, increase productivity and improve operational efficiency.
Additionally, a shorter mean time to repair means maintenance teams can spend more time on other important tasks, like preventive maintenance, which can in turn reduce the frequency of incidents.
The role of MTTR in customer satisfaction
It’s not just operational efficiency that is affected by MTTR. Customer satisfaction can also suffer from it. Customers expect to receive their products on time. If production is delayed due to extended downtime, it can lead to delivery delays, which can harm company reputation and customer satisfaction.
By reducing MTTR, companies can ensure their products are produced and delivered on time, which can improve customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty.
How to reduce MTTR?
Implementation of preventive maintenance
One of the most effective methods for reducing average repair time is the implementation of a Preventive maintenance. This approach involves regularly performing inspections and repairs on equipment to prevent breakdowns before they occur. By detecting and resolving issues early, businesses can reduce the number of outages and, therefore, the time it takes to repair them.
Preventive maintenance can also help extend the lifespan equipment, which can reduce equipment replacement costs in the long term. Additionally, it helps prevent unexpected breakdowns, which can improve production planning and customer satisfaction.
Use of modern technologies for maintenance
Using modern technologies is another effective method to reduce MTTR. For example, systems of computer-aided maintenance management (CMMS) can help automate and streamline maintenance processes, which can reduce the time needed to identify and repair faults.
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can also play a crucial role. For example, IoT sensors can be used to continuously monitor machine health and send alerts when problems arise, allowing maintenance teams to intervene quickly and reduce MTTR.
Outlook for MTTR Reduction
Emerging Trends in Maintenance Management
With the advancement of technology and changing plant needs, we are witnessing several emerging trends in maintenance management. For example, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for predictive maintenance is increasing.
These technologies can analyze historical and current maintenance data to predict failures before they occur, which can enable businesses to take preventative measures and reduce MTTR even further.
How AI and IoT can help further reduce MTTR
AI and IoT offer fascinating possibilities to further reduce mean time to repair. AI can help analyze equipment performance data and predict potential failures. For its part, IoT allows real-time monitoring of equipment, which allows problems to be quickly identified and resolved more quickly. Together, these technologies can help reduce MTTR and improve operational efficiency.
