Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site
Historical failure data is a goldmine of information for reliability engineers. It provides a window into the life cycle of products, revealing patterns and trends that can inform future designs and manufacturing processes. By analyzing this data, we can:
1. Identify common failure modes
2. Detect early life failures indicating quality or production issues
3. Determine the onset of wear-out stages
4. Predict time-to-failure for similar products
[Read more…]
The Importance of Reliability in Product Development: A Case Study of an Electromechanical Valve for EV Battery Temperature Control. In the fast-evolving world of electric vehicles (EVs), the precision and reliability of components such as electromechanical valves are critical. These valves, which control the flow of coolant to manage battery temperature, must perform flawlessly under varying conditions. This article delves into the importance of reliability at each stage of product development, from design review to customer release, and highlights when a project might need to halt due to reliability concerns.
[Read more…]
When faced with recurring equipment failures, identifying the root cause is only half the battle. The real challenge lies in implementing an effective solution that addresses the issue while considering various stakeholder perspectives. In this article, we’ll explore a comprehensive approach to optimizing decision-making for equipment failure solutions, involving key teams across the organization.
[Read more…]
Yes, reliability testing can be done in parallel with design validation (DV). This approach has both advantages and disadvantages, which are important to consider in the context of product development and testing.
Site Reliability Engineering vs Hardware Reliability Engineering: Distinct Disciplines with Shared Goals
In the world of engineering, reliability is a crucial aspect that spans various domains. Two fields that often get confused due to their similar names are Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and Hardware Reliability Engineering. While both aim to ensure the dependability of systems, they focus on vastly different areas and employ distinct methodologies. Let’s explore the key differences between these two disciplines and delve into the history behind the SRE naming convention.
[Read more…]
In the realm of mechanical engineering, the reliability and longevity of pumps are critical for numerous industrial applications. Predicting wear-out of pumps can significantly enhance maintenance strategies, reduce downtime, and optimize operational efficiency. One effective approach to predicting wear-out is by monitoring the revolutions per minute (RPM) of pumps over a large population and extended time periods. This article delves into the methodology of creating a wear-out prediction model based on RPM measurements.
[Read more…]
Coordinating multiple improvement programs effectively within an organization requires a structured approach that ensures alignment, communication, and collaboration across various teams and departments. Here are some key strategies and techniques to achieve this:
– Align Teams Around a Common Purpose: Ensure that all teams understand and are committed to the overarching goals of the organization. This shared sense of purpose helps keep everyone focused and motivated.
[Read more…]
In the realm of complex electromechanical systems, reliability allocation is a critical process that demands a delicate balance between safety, cost, and performance. As engineers, we are tasked with creating systems that not only meet functional requirements but also operate safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively over their intended lifespan. This article explores key strategies for optimal reliability allocation, emphasizing the importance of safety while considering economic factors and system performance.
[Read more…]
In today’s data-driven business landscape, two roles have emerged as critical to improving company strategy through data analysis and system optimization: data scientists and reliability engineers. While these roles have distinct focuses, they share common skills and often work together to drive organizational success. This article will explore the similarities and differences between data scientists and reliability engineers, highlighting how their skills complement each other in day-to-day activities and contribute to data-driven decision-making.
[Read more…]
Achieving 99% reliability versus 99.9999% reliability (1 part per million failure rate) represents a massive leap in quality and performance, especially for electromechanical devices in the automotive and aviation industries. The efforts required to reach these levels of reliability differ significantly:
[Read more…]
After conducting a thorough root cause analysis and identifying the underlying issues behind a problem, the next critical step is developing and implementing effective solutions. However, this process requires careful planning and consideration of various factors to ensure the solution addresses the root cause and can be successfully deployed. This article explores key considerations when implementing solutions, particularly for products already in the field.
[Read more…]
The 5 Whys technique is a powerful tool for root cause analysis, originally developed by Sakichi Toyoda and later popularized by Taiichi Ohno within the Toyota Production System. This method involves asking “why” five times to drill down to the root cause of a problem, rather than just addressing its symptoms. In the context of product development, particularly in the automotive industry, the 5 Whys approach can significantly improve overall reliability by uncovering the true sources of failure modes.
[Read more…]
In the field of reliability engineering, distinguishing between correlation and causation is essential for accurately identifying the root causes of system failures and ensuring the reliability of engineered systems.
Correlation refers to a statistical relationship between two variables where changes in one variable are associated with changes in another. However, this relationship does not imply that one variable causes the other to change. For example, an increase in ice cream sales and shark attacks are correlated because both increase during the summer, but one does not cause the other.
[Read more…]
The importance of failure repeatability lies in its role in understanding and improving systems, processes, and products. Failure repeatability refers to the consistency with which a system or device can reproduce an outcome under unchanged conditions.
In the context of product design, engineering, and testing, being able to consistently replicate a failure means that the underlying cause can be more accurately identified and addressed.
[Read more…]
In the bustling Boeing factory in Seattle Engineers work diligently on the 737 Max. Alex Carter an engineer notices discrepancies in the AOA sensors test results. His concerns are overlooked amid the pressure to meet production deadlines. In a Sleek boardroom, senior executive Mark Thompson stresses the importance of production targets. Discussions over the MCOS system reveal it relies on a single AOA sensor prompting safety Advocate Sarah Lee to voice her concern.
[Read more…]