Application of Artificial Intelligence in Maintenance Modelling and Management

Over the past 3 decades many attempts have been made to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in maintenance modeling and management. Essentially the use of AI is an attempt to replace human intelligence with machine intelligence. The ultimate objective is to achieve more effective maintenance management and in some cases to make achieving this goal a viable option. The AI techniques used are numerous ranging from the classic expert systems that utilizes rule based reasoning to the more cumbersome optimization techniques used in Genetic Algorithms. Over the past decade there has been a shift towards developing hybrid intelligent management systems in operations that use more than one AI technique. The application areas of AI in maintenance extends widely from the intelligent maintenance optimization models to the more practical applications such as cost budgeting of maintenance projects and selecting optimal repair methods. This paper presents an overview of the applications of AI techniques in maintenance over the past decades identifying specific applications and extent of use of techniques. The paper discusses the applications of AI techniques and recent trends.