Some Strategic Management (i.e.

, Basic) Aspects of Reliability

Bruce Stolte April 21, 2010

Purpose
!e intent of t!is presentation is to gi"e t!e au#ience a basic, $ualitati"e intro#uction to a #iscipline t!at can be relati"ely comple% an# !ig!ly $uantitati"e. &t s!oul# !elp you better un#erstan# '!y AS( !as c!osen to offer a certification focuse# on reliability. &t may pro"i#e a sufficiently informati"e trail!ea# sign t!at 'ill prompt you to begin !i)ing t!e pat! of *R+ certification.

References ,se#
Benbo',

-onal# .., an# /ug! .. Broome, The Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook, AS(, 2000 NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods, !ttp122'''.itl.nist.go"2#i"3032 !an#boo)2, since 2004

*ertifie# Reliability +ngineer Bo#y of 5no'le#ge, 2000

Reliability

Management Probability an# Statistics for Reliability Reliability in -esign an# -e"elopment Reliability Mo#eling an# Pre#ictions Reliability esting Maintainability an# A"ailability -ata *ollection an# ,se

Reliability Management
Strategic

Management Reliability Program Management +t!ics, Safety, an# 6iability

Strategic Management
Benefits

of Reliability +ngineering &nterrelations!ip of Safety, (uality, an# Reliability Role of t!e Reliability 7unction in t!e 8rgani9ation 7ailure *onse$uence an# 6iability Management .arranty Management

Strategic Management, cont:#

*ustomer

;ee#s Assessment Supplier Reliability

-efinition
Reliability is #efine# as t!e probability t!at an item 'ill perform a re$uire# function 'it!out failure un#er state# con#itions for a specifie# perio# of time.
(*RE Handbook)

Q ality is a snaps!ot at t!e start of life an# reliability is a motion picture of t!e #ay<by<#ay operation. (e-Handbook)

Benefits of Reliability +ngineering

*ustomers e%pect pro#ucts to not only meet t!e specifie# parameters upon #eli"ery but to function t!roug!out '!at t!ey percei"e as a reasonable lifetime.
(*RE Handbook)

Accurate pre#iction an# control of reliability plays an important role in t!e profitability of a pro#uct. (e-Handbook)

Benefits, cont:#
As pro#ucts become more comple%, t!e reliability re$uirements of in#i"i#ual components increase. (*RE Handbook) Proper spare part stoc)ing an# support personnel !iring an# training #epen# upon goo# reliability fallout pre#ictions.
(e-Handbook)

Benefits, cont:#
An unreliable pro#uct often !as safety an# !ealt! !a9ar#s. (*RE Handbook) Sometimes e$uipment failure can !a"e a ma=or impact on !uman safety an#2or !ealt!. Automobiles, planes, life support e$uipment, an# po'er generating plants are a fe' e%amples. (e-Handbook)

Benefits, cont:#
Reliability "alues are use# in mar)eting an# 'arranty material. (*RE Handbook! Ser"ice costs for pro#ucts 'it!in t!e 'arranty perio# or un#er a ser"ice contract are a ma=or e%pense an# a significant pricing factor. (e-Handbook)

Benefits, cont:#
*ompetiti"e pressures re$uire increase# emp!asis on reliability.
Handbook! (*RE

*ompanies t!at can economically #esign an# mar)et pro#ucts t!at meet t!eir customers> reliability e%pectations !a"e a strong competiti"e a#"antage in to#ay>s mar)etplace. (e-Handbook)

Benefits, cont:#
An increasing number of contracts specify reliability re$uirements. (*RE
Handbook!

Missing reliability targets may in"o)e contractual penalties an# cost future business. (e-Handbook)

Safety, (uality, an# Reliability

Q ality and reliability engineers pro"i#e #ifferent inputs into t!e #esign process. Q ality engineers suggest c!anges t!at permit t!e item to be pro#uce# 'it!in tolerance at a reasonable cost. Reliability engineers ma)e recommen#ations t!at permit t!e item to function correctly for a longer perio# of time. (*RE Handbook)

Safety, (uality, Reliability, cont:#

Sometimes e$uipment failure can !a"e a ma=or impact on !uman safety an#2or !ealt!. 7rom t!e point of "ie' of assessing pro#uct reliability, 'e treat t!ese )in#s of catastrop!ic failures no #ifferently from t!e failure t!at occurs '!en a )ey parameter measure# on a manufacturing tool #rifts slig!tly out of specification, calling for an unsc!e#ule# maintenance action. (e-Handbook)

Safety, (uality, Reliability, cont:#

&t is up to t!e reliability engineer (an# t!e rele"ant customer) to #efine '!at constitutes a failure in any reliability stu#y. More resource (test time an# test units) s!oul# be planne# for '!en an incorrect reliability assessment coul# negati"ely impact safety an#2or !ealt!.
(e-Handbook)

Role of t!e Reliability 7unction

Reliability analysis can be use# to impro"e pro#uct #esign. Mar)eting an# a#"ertising can be assiste# as 'arranty an# ot!er #ocuments t!at inform customer e%pectations are prepare#. &t is increasingly important to #etect an# pre"ent or mitigate pro#uct liability issues.
(*RE

Role, cont:#
Manufacturing processes can use reliability tools in t!e follo'ing 'ays1
!e impact of process parameters on pro#uct failure rates can be stu#ie#. Alternati"e processes can be compare# for t!eir effect on reliability. Reliability #ata for process e$uipment can be use# to #etermine pre"enti"e maintenance sc!e#ules an# spare parts in"entories.
(*RE

Role, cont:#
8t!er possible uses in manufacturing1
!e use of parallel process streams to impro"e process reliability can be e"aluate#. Safety can be en!ance# t!roug! t!e un#erstan#ing of e$uipment failure rates. ?en#ors can be e"aluate# more effecti"ely.
(CRE Handbook)

Role, cont:#
Purc!asing, (A, pac)aging, fiel# ser"ice, logistics, an# so on, can benefit from a )no'le#ge of reliability engineering. An un#erstan#ing of t!e lifecycles of t!e pro#ucts an# e$uipment t!ey use an# !an#le can impro"e t!e effecti"eness an# efficiency of t!eir function. (*RE Handbook)

Pro#uct @ Process -e"elopment

Mean time bet'een failure (M B7) "alues for e%isting pro#ucts can be #etermine# an# reasonable goals establis!e#. M B7 "alues for components an# purc!ase# parts can be #etermine#. 7ailure types an# times of occurrence can be anticipate#.
(*RE Handbook)

-e"elopment, cont:#
8ptimal brea)<in2burn<in times can be #etermine#. Recommen#ations for 'arranty times can be establis!e#. !e impact of age an# operating con#itions on t!e life of t!e pro#uct can be stu#ie#. !e effects of parallel or re#un#ant #esign features can be #etermine#.
(*RE

-e"elopment, cont:#
Accelerate# life testing can be use# to pro"i#e failure #ata. 7iel# failure #ata can be analy9e# to !elp e"aluate pro#uct performance. *oncurrent engineering can impro"e t!e efficiency an# effecti"eness of pro#uct #e"elopment by sc!e#uling #esign tas)s in parallel rat!er t!an se$uentially.
(*RE Handbook)

-e"elopment, cont:#
Reliability engineering can pro"i#e information to in#i"i#ual teams about failure rates of t!eir propose# components. *ost accounting estimates can be impro"e# t!roug! t!e use of lifecycle cost analysis using reliability #ata. .!en management employs 7M+A tec!ni$ues, reliability engineering pro"i#es essential input.

7ailure *onse$uence an# 6iability Management

Reliability analysis pro"i#es estimates of t!e probability of failure. !e reliability engineer must go beyon# t!ese calculations an# e%amine t!e conse$uences of failure. !ese conse$uences typically represent costs to t!e customer. (*RE Handbook)

7ailure *onse$uence an# 6iability Management

!e customer fin#s 'ays of s!aring t!ese costs 'it! t!e pro#ucer t!roug! t!e 'arranty system, loss of business, #ecrease in reputation, or t!e ci"il litigation system. (*RE Handbook)

7ailure *onse$uence an# 6iability Management, cont:#

!erefore, an important reliability function is t!e anticipation of possible failures an# t!e establis!ment of reliability acceptance goals t!at 'ill limit t!eir occurrence an# conse$uent costs.
(*RE Handbook)

8t!er ,seful References

;ic!olls,

-a"i# B., Syste" Reliability Toolkit, -o- Reliability &nformation Analysis *enter (R&A*), 200A 8>*onnor, Patric) -. ., #ractical Reliability Engineering, Bt! e#., .iley, 2002 M&6</-B5<443B, Electronic Reliability $esign Handbook% 1003

(uestions