Question: A piece of production equipment is to be replaced immediately because it no longer meets quality requirements for the end product. The two best alternatives are a used piece of equipment (E1) and a new automated model (E2). The economic estimates for each are shown in the accompanying table.
The MARR is 15% per year.
a. Which alternative is preferred, based on the repeatability assumption?
b. Show, for the coterminated assumption with a five year study period and an imputed market value for Alternative B, that the AW of B remains the same as it was in Part (a). [And obviously, the selection is the same as in Part (a).] Explain why that occurs in this problem.