Statistical analysis for maintenance optimization

1. A computer implemented method of identifying an interval for performing a maintenance task, the method comprising:

retrieving, by one or more processors, scheduled maintenance data and un-scheduled in-service maintenance data for a given apparatus type;

mapping, by the one or more processors, the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to the scheduled maintenance data for the given apparatus type to form mapped maintenance data, wherein mapping includes using a dictionary of technical vocabulary used in a global maintenance industry and a text mining tool that maps log book entries, cancellation records, and delay records in the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data;

performing a statistical analysis on the mapped maintenance data; and

identifying an optimal interval for performing the maintenance task based on a result of the statistical analysis to form a recommended maintenance interval.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the maintenance task is associated with a set of components in an apparatus of the given apparatus type, and wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that minimizes occurrences of un-scheduled in-service maintenance associated with the set of components while taking into account safe interval zones, evident safety tasks, evident economic anomalies, evident operational tasks, latent safety anomalies and latent economic anomalies.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting the recommended maintenance interval to a set of engineers, wherein the set of engineers utilize the recommended maintenance interval to generate the recommended maintenance schedule for an apparatus of the given apparatus type.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving engineering data for the given apparatus type; and

mapping the engineering data to the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data is generated by a set of operators.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mapped maintenance data is structured and formatted data, and wherein the mapped maintenance data comprises data describing in-service performance of an apparatus of the given apparatus type.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mapped maintenance data comprises data describing scheduled maintenance history and in-service performance of an aircraft, and wherein the given apparatus type is an aircraft model.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the maintenance task is associated with a set of components in an apparatus of the given apparatus type, and wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that maximizes a probability that anomalies associated with the set of components are detected during preventive scheduled maintenance.

9. A computer program product for identifying an interval for performing a maintenance task, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code embodied therewith, the computer-usable program code comprising:

computer-usable program code configured to retrieve scheduled maintenance data and un-scheduled in-service maintenance data for a given apparatus type;

computer-usable program code configured to map the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to the scheduled maintenance data for the given apparatus type to form mapped maintenance data, wherein mapping includes using a dictionary of technical vocabulary used in a global maintenance industry and a text mining tool that maps log book entries, cancellation records, and delay records in the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data;

computer-usable program code configured to perform a statistical analysis on the mapped maintenance data; and

computer-usable program code configured to identify an optimal interval for performing the maintenance task based on a result of the statistical analysis to form a recommended maintenance interval.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the maintenance task is associated with a set of components in an apparatus of the given apparatus type, and wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that minimizes occurrences of un-scheduled in-service maintenance associated with the set of components while taking into account safe interval zones, evident safety tasks, evident economic anomalies, evident operational tasks, latent safety anomalies and latent economic anomalies.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

computer-usable program code configured to output the recommended maintenance interval to a set of engineers, wherein the set of engineers utilize the recommended maintenance interval to generate a recommended maintenance schedule for an apparatus of the given apparatus type.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

computer-usable program code configured to retrieve engineering data for the given apparatus type; and

computer-usable program code configured to map the engineering data to the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the mapped maintenance data is structured and formatted data, and wherein the mapped maintenance data comprises data describing in-service performance of an apparatus of the given apparatus type.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the mapped maintenance data comprises data describing scheduled maintenance history and in-service performance of an aircraft, and wherein the given apparatus type is an aircraft model.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the maintenance task is associated with a set of components in an apparatus of the given apparatus type, and wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that maximizes a probability that anomalies associated with the set of components are detected during preventive scheduled maintenance.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer-usable program code to retrieve scheduled maintenance data and un-scheduled in-service maintenance data for a given apparatus type; map the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to the scheduled maintenance data for the given apparatus type to form mapped maintenance data, wherein mapping includes using a dictionary of technical vocabulary used in a global maintenance industry and a text mining tool that maps log book entries, cancellation records, and delay records in the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data; perform a statistical analysis on the mapped maintenance data; and identify an optimal interval for performing the maintenance task based on a result of the statistical analysis to form a recommended maintenance interval.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer-usable program code to output the recommended maintenance interval to a set of engineers, wherein the set of engineers utilize the recommended maintenance interval to generate a recommended maintenance schedule for an apparatus of the given apparatus type while taking into account safe interval zones, evident safety tasks, evident economic anomalies, evident operational tasks, latent safety anomalies and latent economic anomalies.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the maintenance task is associated with a set of components in an apparatus of the given apparatus type, wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that minimizes occurrences of un-scheduled in-service maintenance associated with the set of components, and wherein the optimal interval is an interval of time between performances of the maintenance task that maximizes a probability that anomalies associated with the set of components are detected during preventive scheduled maintenance.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer-usable program code to retrieve engineering data for the given apparatus type; and map the engineering data to the scheduled maintenance data and the un-scheduled in-service maintenance data to form the mapped maintenance data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the mapped maintenance data comprises data describing scheduled maintenance history and in-service performance of an aircraft, and wherein the given apparatus type is an aircraft model.