The Reliability Engineering Glossary
Reliability engineering and related fields use a vocabulary unique to our field of endeavor. For example, the term ‘reliability’ has the meaning of ‘trustworthy’ in everyday English use. For us, ‘reliability’ has a precise engineering definition.
Glossary description and plans
This glossary is meant to help us learn the language of reliability engineering. The category of ‘Terms’ is like a dictionary, including terms and their definitions as used by engineers. The category of ‘Methods’ is a listing of the techniques, tools, approaches, or concepts that may be found within a reliability plan. In the near future, we expect to expand the ‘Methods’ pages to include guidelines on use or application, examples, and additional references.
We also plan to expand the glossary to include formulas and failure mechanisms. Please let us know if there is another list of terms that should be added if you do not find a term that should be included or if you would like to recommend a change to an existing entry.
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- Independent test/measurement resultsTest or measurement results each determined such that they are not influence by each other. Read More
- Indifference quality levelThe quality level corresponding to a 0.5 (50%) probability of acceptance when considering a specific acceptance sampling plan for a continuing series of lots. Read More
- Indifference zoneThe quality level region between the acceptance quality limit and the limiting quality level, used in acceptance sampling. Read More
- Infant mortalityThe relatively high conditional probability of failure during the period immediately after an item enters service. Read More
- InformationMeaningful data. Read More
- Information systemAs part of a quality management system it is a communication network used within an organization. Read More
- Infrastructure investmentAn ongoing process in which an organization proposes, budgets, funds, procures, and installs capital equipment, involving deployment of a system to obtain items such as test chambers, expensive failure analysis equipment, etc. Read More
- Inherent availability (Ai)A measure of availability that includes only the effects of an item design and its application, and does not account for effects of the operational and support environment. Sometimes referred to as "intrinsic"availability. Read More
- Inherent R & M valueA measure of reliability or maintainability that includes only the effects of an item design and its application; ideal operation and support environment are assumed. Read More
- Inherent reliability characteristicsThe design characteristics of an item that determine its inherent level of reliability, including the characteristics that determine the feasibility and cost effectiveness of scheduled maintenance. Read More
- Inherent reliability levelThe level of reliability of an item or of equipment that is attainable with an effective scheduled-maintenance program. Read More
- Inherent safety levelThe level of safety of an item or of equipment that is associated with its inherent reliability level. Read More
- Initial isolationIsolation to the product subunit which must be replaced on line to return the product to operation. A subunit can be a modular assembly, or a component such as a crystal or antenna subsection. In the event that the maintenance concept requires a subunit to be removed, repaired and then(...) Read More
- Initial isolation level of ambiguityThe initial number of possible product subunits, identified by the built-in-test, built-in-test equipment, external test equipment, or manual test procedure, which might contain the failed component. Read More
- Initial maintenance programThe scheduled-maintenance tasks and associated intervals developed for new equipment before it enters service. Read More
- Initial riskThe first assessment of the potential risk of an identified hazard. Initial risk establishes a fixed baseline for the hazard. Read More
- Initial task intervalsThe task intervals assigned in a prior-to-service maintenance program, subject to adjustment on the basis of findings from actual operating experience. Read More
- Inner arrayFactors that can be controlled in a process in a Taguchi-style fractional factorial experiment. Read More
- Input factorAn independent variable that may affect a (dependent) response variable and is included at different levels in the experiment. Read More
- InspectionThe systematic examination determining the extent to which an item fulfills specified requirements. Read More
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