Buffer time

Buffer time indicates the time an asset can still perform after the moment of failure.

For example, a refrigerator can still keep its content cooled for 1 hour after the cooling unit has failed. This means the buffer time in this case is 1 hour.

In Asset Strategy Optimization, for this scenario, the buffer time would be modeled as follows.

Buffer time modeling

As you can see, the buffer time is modeled on the failing unit (Cooling unit) instead of on the main unit (Fridge).

This is how buffer time works in simulation:

• When a failure event is generated from the Cover an appropriate maintenance action is triggered.

• Let’s say this action causes a total of 1 hour of downtime.

• This will result in 1 hour of downtime being written on the Cover and 1 hour of downtime being written on the Fridge.

• When a failure event is generated from the Cooling unit an appropriate maintenance action is triggered.

• Let’s say this action causes a total of 2 hours of downtime.

• This will result in 2 hours of downtime being written on the Cooling unit and 1 hours of downtime being written on the Fridge since the action/ fail event came from the Cooling unit which has a Buffer time of 1 hour.

Now if the fridge does not have a buffer time configured, all assets above the fridge will also be down for 1 hour. If it has a buffer time configured, the downtime written on any of the parent assets of the fridge, which is already subtracted with the buffer time of the Cooling unit, is now subtracted again with the buffer time of the fridge.