Catalina Bolancé Losilla

Optimization of replacement stocks using a maintenance programme derived from reliability studies of production systems

This paper is the outcome of a study carried out in a nine‐cell flexible manufacturing unit which produces components for Diesel engine injection pumps. The study involved the monitoring and recording of the various types of failure which led to interruptions in production. The objective of the study was to design a maintenance system for the optimal management of replacement stocks, both from the technical and economic point of view. The design of this programme was based on matching a given statistical distribution (Weibull’s distribution, exponential, normal, log‐normal, or gamma) to the time between failures. By means of this fit, the basic system parameters were determined: average lifetime, failure rate, mean time between failures, mean time between inspections. Knowledge of these variables permits us to determine the frequency of inspections in relation to the level of reliability we require of the system. This information also enables us to establish a programme to determine which elements require inspection, the frequency of these inspections and the operations that need to be carried out.

Tipologías sociodemográficas de individuos con dependencia en España y su supervivencia en estado de salud

INTRODUCTION the main objective of this study was to construct indicators that would allow individuals with dependence to be grouped, based on their socioeconomic situation, with special interest in the elderly. MATERIAL AND METHODS data were taken from the Survey of Disabilities, Deficiencies and Health Status (Spanish National Institute of Statistics). The distinct typologies of dependent individuals were analyzed by means of multivariate statistical techniques. Firstly, the factors that best established differences among individuals with dependence were determined; secondly, the sample was segmented to identify disabled individuals with dependence; and finally, healthy life expectancy and dependent life expectancy after the age of 65 years were calculated for the different groups. RESULTS the characteristics that best defined individuals with dependence were related to marital status, the care received, economic and work situation, and educational level. With these factors, seven groups for each degree of dependence were defined. The greatest differences in dependent life expectancy were found between pensioners who retired due to age and those who retired due to disability. CONCLUSIONS the profiles defined and their differences in dependent life expectancy are useful to plan long-term care resources and to quantify the costs of dependency, as well as to create systems that ensure that sufficient resources are used to decrease the differences among the groups of dependent individuals, thus inducing convergence among them.INTRODUCTION: the main objective of this study was to construct indicators that would allow individuals with dependence to be grouped, based on their socioeconomic situation, with special interest in the elderly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: data were taken from the Survey of Disabilities, Deficiencies and Health Status (Spanish National Institute of Statistics). The distinct typologies of dependent individuals were analyzed by means of multivariate statistical techniques. Firstly, the factors that best established differences among individuals with dependence were determined; secondly, the sample was segmented to identify disabled individuals with dependence; and finally, healthy life expectancy and dependent life expectancy after the age of 65 years were calculated for the different groups. RESULTS: the characteristics that best defined individuals with dependence were related to marital status, the care received, economic and work situation, and educational level. With these factors, seven groups for each degree of dependence were defined. The greatest differences in dependent life expectancy were found between pensioners who retired due to age and those who retired due to disability. CONCLUSIONS: the profiles defined and their differences in dependent life expectancy are useful to plan long-term care resources and to quantify the costs of dependency, as well as to create systems that ensure that sufficient resources are used to decrease the differences among the groups of dependent individuals, thus inducing convergence among them.Introduccion: el principal objetivo de este trabajo es la construccion de indicadores que permitan agrupar a los individuos con dependencia en funcion de su situacion sociodemografica, con especial interes por las personas mayores. Material y metodos: a partir de los datos que ofrece la Encuesta de Discapacidades, Deficiencias y Estado de Salud, del Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), y mediante tecnicas de estadistica multivariante y el analisis de supervivencia, se analizan las distintas tipologias de individuos con dependencia. En primer lugar, se determinan cuales son los factores sociodemograficos que establecen diferencias entre los individuos con dependencia; en segundo lugar, se segmenta la muestra para encontrar grupos de discapacitados con dependencia. Finalmente, se realiza el calculo de las esperanzas de vida en salud y en dependencia a partir de los 65 anos para los grupos de individuos. Resultados: las caracteristicas que mejor diferencian a los individuos con dependencia estan relacionadas con el estado civil, los cuidados que reciben, la situacion economica-laboral y el nivel de estudios que poseen. Con estos factores se determinan y definen 7 grupos para cada grado de dependencia. Referente a la esperanza de vida en dependencia, las mayores diferencias las encontramos entre los jubilados por edad o por invalidez. Conclusiones: los perfiles definidos y sus diferencias en esperanza de vida en situacion de dependencia ayudan a la planificacion de recursos para los cuidados de larga duracion y la cuantificacion de los costes de la dependencia, asi como la creacion de sistemas que aseguren que los recursos disponibles se utilizan para disminuir las diferencias entre los grupos de personas con dependencia, incidiendo en la convergencia entre ellas.