Mathematical models for determination of efficient troubleshooting routes

The complexity of modern equipment used by industry and by the military has resulted in a serious problem of providing adequate maintenance. Of the various tasks which must be performed in maintenance of such equipment, the most difficult is troubleshooting, or the location of malfunctions. Under current methods of training and utilizing maintenance technicians, it is generally considered necessary that the technicians have a comprehensive grasp of the intricate interrelationships between the parts of equipment and the way the parts function as a system. Knowledge of these interrelationships often requires a background of high level physics and engineering. Despite this, technical schools, both in industry and in the military, have often been given the almost impossible task of providing such knowledge in short courses of a year or less. In the face of this situation, various approaches to solution of this problem are being attempted. The present paper pertains to two methods of dealing with the problem through simplification of the troubleshooting tasks of maintenance personnel. These two approaches to simplification of maintenance requirements are (a) the design and utilization of more or less automatic testing eqaipments, and (b) the improved design and use of on-the-job performance supports in the form of easy-to-follow job instructions. In the present paper we shall first examine the general characteristics of several interim solutions. This will include examples of how the solutions might be applied in specific, simple situations. Then we shall present a condensed table indicating the optimal conditions for use of each solution.