An Introduction, Basic Steps, and Examples of How ALT Goes Wrong

Accelerated Life Testing, ALT, is a technique to estimate an item’s time to failure-pattern. In short, ALT allows us to shorten time. Done well, it provides valuable insights into the future. Done poorly, it is a colossal waste of resources.

In this webinar, let’s talk about the various methods available to you for ALT. Select the right approach, given your understanding of the failure mechanism involved. And discuss the best and a few worst practices when planning and conducting ALT. [Read more…]

An Introduction, Basic Steps, and Examples of How HALT Goes Wrong

HALT promises to find the weaknesses in your design early in the design process. Understanding the basic concepts underlying HALT enables you to do so effectively. Let’s discuss this essential discovery tool and how it fits into your program.
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Creating an Effective Reliability Plan

Writing and executing effective reliability plans is a skill that is not often taught in reliability courses or seminars. It falls under the body of knowledge of reliability management, which is a different set of skills than reliability engineering. What is a Reliability Plan, and how should it be developed? What do well-written reliability tasks look like? How detailed should tasks be described, and how can they be written to support easy execution? How do you ensure that your Reliability Plan is successfully implemented to the desired results?

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Selecting the Right Reliability Tools

There are dozens of quality and reliability tools. How does a reliability practitioner know which specific tools to use in a new reliability program. Should reliability allocation be used? Which types of FMEAs are needed? What about robust design or design margin analysis? How does one go about selecting the right reliability tools that will be incorporated into an effective reliability plan?

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An Introduction, Basic Steps, and Examples of How FMEA Goes Wrong

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) starts with brainstorming and ends with prioritized actions. A great tool to get your team thinking about system failures. Let’s explore the fundamental steps and beset practices to get value from your analysis.
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An Introduction, Basic Steps, and Examples of FRACAS Gone Wrong

Every failure has valuable information you and your team require to improve reliability. During the development process, each failure may represent a future recall. Celebrate every failure. Let your FRACAS prioritize which failures to resolve.
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Do Reliability Testing That Adds Value, Informs Decisions, and Provides Information

Reliability testing is expensive, time-consuming, and fraught with errors. Is it worth the effort? Is it necessary? Let’s explore relegating testing to only a ‘when necessary’ status. Let’s explore what you and your team can do instead.
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The Importance of Reliability Apportionment and How to Do It Today

Your team may understand the system reliability goal, yet they should know the goal for the element they are addressing. Let’s discuss why you must do reliability apportionment. Plus, let’s explore how it benefits your team.
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Basic Steps to Building Your Reliability Plan

Creating a plan is necessary both for budgeting and buy-in. The added focus on reliability will help your team achieve it’s reliability goals. Plus, a good plan helps build your credibility and program. Let’s explore how to build a reliability plan. [Read more…]

What To Do When A Customer Requests MTBF

You have carefully crafted a detailed reliability goal including function, environment, probability, and duration, plus apportioned it to critical supplied subsystems and components. Your vendor decides to use MTBF instead.
What can you do? What should you do?

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Time to Failure Data Analysis for Your Factory Equipment

We have data. Often, an abundance of data concerning equipment failures. Failures per month or MTBF-type measures do not reveal sufficient insights to understand the pattern of failures.

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Collecting and Analyzing Your Field Data

We often have more data than we can use. For time to failure, warranty claims, and related field data, we should take the time to learn what we can. Let’s explore organizing your field data and use basic techniques let the data speak.

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Predicting the Value of a Reliability Goal in Your Organization

Establishing a reliability goal for a project is often done early.

You may already know the reliability goal guides the entire development and supply chain team.

Yet, what is the actual value of setting a reliability goal?

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Understanding and Controlling Process Variation

Let’s discuss sources of variation and how to measure, monitor, and control processes to minimize the differences from one part to the next.

Statistical process control (SPC) is a set of tools that provide insights into the changing nature of processes.

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How to Build Your Influence as a Reliability Engineer

Good with data or failure analysis are elements of a great reliability engineer.

Another is the ability to influence. The perfect analysis and dynamic slide deck are not sufficient. You also must master the ability to persuade to influence.

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