Abstract
In this paper, a preventive replacement policy considering warranty is proposed. Throughout the warranty period, a manufacturer copes with the first failure of the objective system by replacing it with a new one free of charge, but he conducts minimal repairs to the succeeding failures without charge. An expected cost per unit time is formulated, when a user preventively replaces the system at time T from the initial purchase. We clarify the sufficient conditions under which a unique finite preventive replacement time that minimizes the expected cost exists. Numerical examples assuming a personal computer are also presented.
