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Understanding Reliability and Failure

The document defines key reliability terms: 1) Failure is when a component fails to perform its intended function, such as a bearing seizing or insulation burning. A defect is any undesirable condition that can cause failure, like a crack. 2) Reliability is the ability of an item to function as required for a given time period under certain conditions. It can be predicted but is determined after time. 3) Maintainability is the probability a failed component will be repaired within a time period using prescribed procedures.

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Ahmer Bandagi
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57 views2 pages

Understanding Reliability and Failure

The document defines key reliability terms: 1) Failure is when a component fails to perform its intended function, such as a bearing seizing or insulation burning. A defect is any undesirable condition that can cause failure, like a crack. 2) Reliability is the ability of an item to function as required for a given time period under certain conditions. It can be predicted but is determined after time. 3) Maintainability is the probability a failed component will be repaired within a time period using prescribed procedures.

Uploaded by

Ahmer Bandagi
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

FAILURE:

 An incident or occurrence where a component or equipment fails to perform


satisfactorily its intended function.
 Seizure of a bearing, burning of insulation, fracture of a shaft/axle.
DEFECT:
 Any condition in the equipment which is neither intended nor desirable.
 A condition that can cause a failure of the component.
 Lack of lubrication, high voltage, crack in a stressed component
Defect is a cause Failure is its effect

RELIABILITY:
 The ability of an item to perform a required function under stated conditions
for a stated period of time. BS4778
 The probability that a component or system will perform a required function
for a given period of time when used under stated operating conditions -R(t).
 It can only be determined after an elapsed time but can be predicted at any
time.
Maintainability
 The probability that a failed component or system will be restored or
repaired to a specified condition within a period of time when maintenance is
performed in accordance with prescribed procedures -M(t).

Mean Time between Failure (MTBF):


 It is the predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a system during
operation.
 MTBF can be calculated as the arithmetic mean (average) time
between successive failures of a system.
MTBF = (Total operating hours of all items)/Total number of failures that
occur
Example

If 20 identical items operate for 5, 000 hrs. during which 40 failures occur and
are rectified, Calculate MTBF
MTBF = ((5000× 20)/40) = 2, 500 hrs
 MTBF can also be expressed as the inverse of failure rate, λ as follows:
MTBF = 1/λ
 Once an MTBF is calculated, what is the probability that any one particular
device will be operational at time equal to the MTBF?
R(t) = e(-t/MTBF)
Mean Time to Failure (MTTF):
 It is the average time that elapses until a failure occurs.
 It is the mean time expected until the first failure of a piece of equipment.
 This is used for components or items that are not repairable such as filament
lamps, fuses, resistors, capacitors, etc.
MTTF= T/N where T = total time and N = Number of units under test.
Example:

Suppose 10 devices are tested for 500 hours. During the test 2 failures occur.
The estimate of the MTBF is:
MTBF= (10*500)/2 = 2,500 hours / failure.
Whereas for MTTF
MTTF= (10*500)/10 = 500 hours / failure.

AVAILABILITY:
 It is the probability that the system is operational at any random time t.
 Availability is defined as the probability that a component or system is
performing its required function at a given point in time when used under
stated operating conditions -A(t).
 Availability means that systems or data are accessible but does not guarantee
performance.

Common questions

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Availability and reliability are interconnected in system performance analysis. Availability is the probability that a system is operational at any given time and is contingent upon both the reliability and maintainability of the system. High reliability reduces the likelihood of failures, thereby increasing availability, while effective maintainability ensures rapid restoration, further contributing to availability. Therefore, reliability ensures that fewer failures occur, and good maintainability minimizes downtime, resulting in higher availability .

In reliability engineering, a defect is a condition in equipment that is neither intended nor desirable, and it may lead to a failure if not addressed. Examples of defects include lack of lubrication and high voltage. A failure, on the other hand, is when a component does not perform its intended function satisfactorily, such as when a bearing seizes or a shaft fractures. Hence, a defect is a potential cause, and failure is the effect that may occur if the defect is not rectified .

Predicting system reliability is crucial because it allows for proactive maintenance strategies, resource allocation, and risk management before any failures occur. This forward-thinking approach supports designing systems with higher quality and durability. Strategies to enhance predictive reliability include thorough testing under various conditions, incorporating redundancy in critical components, using high-quality materials, and employing advanced modeling and simulation techniques to foresee potential failure modes .

The inverse relationship between MTBF and the failure rate (λ) is crucial in reliability metrics because it provides a straightforward method to express and understand system performance. MTBF = 1/λ implies that as the failure rate decreases, the MTBF increases, indicating longer intervals between failures and higher reliability. This relationship assists engineers in designing systems with desirable reliability levels by targeting acceptable failure rates during the design and testing phases .

MTBF can be used to calculate the probability of a device operating successfully for a period equal to the MTBF using the reliability function R(t) = e^(-t/MTBF). By setting t equal to MTBF, the equation becomes R(t) = e^(-1), indicating that there's about a 36.8% chance the device will successfully operate for a duration equal to its MTBF. This quantifies the expected reliability over the MTBF period .

MTBF is crucial for assessing the reliability of systems that can be repaired after failure. It represents the predicted average time between failures during system operation, helping in maintenance scheduling and improving system design. MTBF is calculated by dividing the total operating hours of all items by the total number of failures that occur: MTBF = (Total operating hours of all items) / Total number of failures .

Using MTBF and MTTF for life-cycle analysis involves understanding their application to repairable and non-repairable systems, respectively. MTBF helps in planning and managing the life-cycle of systems by scheduling maintenance and predicting future performance, while MTTF provides an estimate for the lifespan of non-repairable components, guiding replacement cycles. However, relying solely on these metrics may overlook specific failure patterns, environmental influences, and operational shifts. Therefore, they should be complemented with other reliability statistics and real-world data to develop a comprehensive life-cycle strategy .

Maintainability plays a critical role in reliability engineering by defining the ease and speed with which a failed system can be restored to operational condition. It impacts system downtime and therefore affects the overall availability and reliability of the system. Maintainability is quantified as the probability that a system will be repaired within a specific period following a failure, using prescribed procedures: M(t). This quantification helps in designing maintenance strategies to enhance system performance .

Availability refers to the probability that a system is operational and accessible at any random time, ensuring that systems or data can be accessed when needed. However, it does not guarantee that the system is functioning optimally or performing at its required levels. Reliability, in contrast, is a measure of performance, indicating the probability that a system will perform its intended function over a given period under specified conditions. Thus, a system can be available but not reliable if it does not perform its functions satisfactorily, or it can be reliable but not always available due to maintenance or downtime .

MTTF differs from MTBF in that it applies to components that are not repairable and is the average time expected until the first failure occurs. While MTBF is used for repairable systems to schedule maintenance and assess reliability, MTTF is employed in reliability analysis of non-repairable items like fuses or capacitors to predict product lifespan. MTTF is calculated as the total testing time divided by the number of units: MTTF = T/N, where T is the total time and N is the number of units .

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