## 8 Conclusions  
The chief research conclusions can be summed up below:  
1. The 3-parameter Weibull distribution supplied the utmost fit for the ice cream manufacturing system to present the TBFs, whereas the TTRs are 3-parameter lognormal distribution.
2. The parameters for TBFs and TTRs of the ice cream manufacturing system and each machine were computed. Thus, the reliability and maintainability of the system can be predicted in short term time periods.
3. The average TBF for the ice cream manufacturing system was 334.2 min, whereas the average TTR was 25.12 min.
4. To enhance the reliability of the system, awareness must first be placed on the packaging (M5) and then on the freezer tunnel (M4). These machines' significance is vital and their maintenance has to be thorough to prevent losses regarding efficiency, productivity, and quality.
5. The maintainability has to be enhanced on the exogenous (M6), and also on the ice cream (M3), together with the complete ice cream manufacturing system.
6. The reliability and maintainability for various time periods and the parameters of TBFs/TTRs of the ice cream manufacturing system and each machine are calculated.
7. The TTR has an expanding repair rate reaching 10.5 min and then a lessening repair rate, signifying that if a repair procedure is not completed during the initial 10.5 min and continues for an extended time period, this suggests the existence critical trouble on the system, i.e., insufficient skill of technicians, inadequate management, restricted amount of maintenance personnel, limited spare part availability, and so on.  
The outcome of the reliability and maintainability interpretation must be essential criticism for the design engineers and managers for the input to be incorporated for further improvement of the performance management and the maintenance policy of the ice cream manufacturing system i.e., spare parts management, maintenance strategy, lessening the delivery time to customers, etc. Moreover, the study provides genuine RAM modeling to assist manufacturers of ice cream machines, whose target is to optimize both the design as well as the function of their manufacturing systems at the highest reliability, therefore extending their performance, efficiency, and availability.  
There are many implications for this case study: (a) in deciding the maintenance periods both in scheduling and managing the correct maintenance policy, we showed how the study of RAM is especially beneficial. (b) In order to allow production managers to proceed safely from the next steps and decisions in respect to machines' operation, RAM characteristics have been computed to evaluate  
Figure 8: Maintainability diagram at machine and the entire ice cream manufacturing system level.  
and optimize system performance. (c) The participation and cooperation for all levels of employees (operators, technicians, managers, etc.) in the RAM procedures was ensured. Moreover, this study offered encouragement for innovative thought of employees in order to meet the strategic goals of the organization.  
This research received no external funding.  
The author wishes to acknowledge financial support provided by the Research Committee of the Technological Education Institute of Central Macedonia Greece, under Grant No. SMF/LG/280319-126/010.  
The authors declare no conflict of interest.