Failure and Hazard Rate
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss the similarities and differences between two terms that many people think mean the same thing.
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SOR 943 Failure and Hazard Rate
SOR 942 Field and Operational Time
Field and Operational Time
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss a listener’s question about dealing with different ‘duration’ metrics for their field data … so how do we find things like ‘operating time’ and other age-related metrics that aren’t calendar time that simply aren’t there?
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Confidence is a Measure of You, Not Your Product
We like to think we make decisions based on information. We don’t. We make decisions based on emotions. And the most important emotion we rely upon for decision-making is confidence. We can be provided all the information in the world, but if we can’t understand it, trust it or believe it, we look for confidence in other ways. Often to disastrous outcomes.
The number of ‘well-funded’ production efforts full of ‘very smart people’ that routinely generate expensive but unreliable products is sadly, very high. And it all comes down to the wrong types of confidence that well-paid decision-makers chase.
SOR 937 Be Helpful
Be Helpful
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss the importance of being helpful when it comes to reliability engineering. After all, it is much easier to have people want to come to you as opposed to forcing them to do something they don’t want to. To be influential is to be helpful.
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SOR 936 Interpreting Formulae
Interpreting formulae and not just generating numbers …
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss how formulae (or formulas!) can be very important … but it is way more important to understand what formulae represent, and how they work. Listen to this podcast if you want to learn more!
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What is WeiBayes Analysis?
What is WeiBayes Analysis?
podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson
Some of us might have heard of the Weibull distribution. Some of us might have heard about Weibull analysis. Weibull analysis uses the Weibull distribution to help us visualize failure data in a really useful way. We can ‘see’ if our product is wearing out. We can see if our product is wearing in. We can estimate how many things will have failed by certain times. We can do all manners of other wonderful ‘reliability engineering’ things through Weibull Analysis. But then there is ‘WeiBayes Analysis.’ It combines Weibull and Bayesian analysis (… I know that doesn’t mean much to most people). It can be really useful if we know ‘how’ something we are testing fails. Because if we do, then we can essentially feed a certain parameter into the analysis to help it on its way. This means that we don’t need as much data (always a good thing in reliability engineering). But there are quite a few catches. Interested in learning about Weibayes analysis? Join us for this webinar.
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SOR 933 FTA vs RBD
FTA vs RBD
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss the differences, pros and cons of FTA (fault tree analysis) and RBD (reliability block diagrams). Need to learn more about how to model system reliability? Do you struggle to spell FTA or RBDs? Listen to this podcast!
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SOR 932 K out of N Systems
K out of N Systems
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss about this thing called a ‘k out of n’ system … and how most people don’t really know about how they contribute to system reliability. Do you know what the reliability curve of a ‘k out of n’ system looks like when compared to series or parallel systems? Don’t know what these systems are? Listen to this podcast!
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No ‘Visionary’ Leaders? … Nowhere to Go
What does it mean to be a ‘visionary leader’? It starts with being different to most people. You can’t just become a visionary leader by completing a leadership course, being mentored by someone awesome, or by compiling an impressive curriculum vitae (although these can help people with the potential to become visionary leaders get there).
One of the first things that the then United States Army Chief of Staff (General George C. Marshall) did at the outbreak of World War II was to fire the majority of his officers who had climbed the ladder of military ranks throughout the previous 20 years of relative peace.
If it Ain’t Boeing, Are you Still Going?
Boeing is really having a bad stretch. Or more specifically, the passengers flying in its 737 MAX aircraft are.
Most recently a ‘plug’ flew off the side of Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane in flight, leaving a refrigerator sized hole next to startled (but mercifully still living) passengers. A ‘plug’ is a panel that seals up a hole in the fuselage that is included during manufacture to allow an optional emergency exit to be installed.
This failure is not a good look … especially for a three-month-old plane. Lots of manufacturers of different machines throughout history have been able to successfully bolt panels to cover holes of a similar size to that of an aircraft emergency exit. It is not hard to do. Nor is it hard to have systems in place to make sure it is done right.
SOR 927 Reliability from WWII
Reliability from WWII
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss some of the things we have learned in the world of reliability directly due to World War II. Not many people know that around one third of today’s medical vaccines were developed out of necessity from World War II … and something similar happened when it came to making things reliable.
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SOR 926 Just Assuming
Just Assuming
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what it means to ‘assume’ something. We assume things all the time in our daily lives. We would never get anything done if we didn’t rely on quick ‘guesses’ about the world around us. But then there are those ‘assumptions’ that get us in trouble. So what’s the difference?
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SOR 923 When to do Monte Carlo
When to do Monte Carlo Simulation (… and what is it)?
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss when you should do this thing called Monte Carlo simulation? … in fact … what is it?
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SOR 922 Many Ways to Estimate Reliability
Many Ways to Estimate Reliability
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss how we can go about estimating reliability … especially when you don’t have a lot of data, experience or other things that textbooks say you need to have to estimate reliability?
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What is Fatigue?
What is ‘fatigue’? … and no I don’t mean feeling ‘tired’.
podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson
Many reliability engineers know what fatigue is (in addition to feeling tired). Fatigue is an example of a ‘failure mechanism.’ A failure mechanism is the physical, chemical or electrical process that results in failure. Fatigue is interesting in that it allows something to fail without it ever being exposed to stresses that are beyond its strength. How does this happen? Fatigue is based on cracks. Cracks magnify stresses at their tips. So cycling stresses can have the effect of incrementally (and sometimes very slowly) increasing the crack length at the tip. Fatigue has caused all manners of failures that have surprised us throughout the history of engineering. But now we have learned so much more about this really fascinating failure mechanism can cause steel, aluminium and other material to fail, even when the stresses they experience are tiny. Want to learn more about fatigue? And how you can help prevent it? Join us for this webinar.
