The Survivorship Bias Principal

podcast episode with speaker Adam Bahret

In 1942, the US Air Force needed to figure out how to get more bombers home. They were losing them at an atrocious rate. They made a study of where the returning bombers were being hit. It was a great data set. But they should have done better in interpreting that data. Abraham Wald, a mathematician, corrected their assumptions and created the “Survivorship Bias principle.” This principle has changed the way we look at data sets and trends. It is a concept that I apply to field failure data sets regularly—more than once. It has caught evidence of core issues that would have otherwise been missed. [Read more…]

Selecting Reliability Engineering Tools

podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg

The toolbox for reliability engineering work is large. We have tools for risk management, data analysis, failure analysis, team building, and more. We touch on material science at the molecular level and then shift to assessing a vendor’s reliability program when you use which tool is critical to your effectiveness. So, how do you determine which tool to use for a given situation?

Let’s explore a few different situations and step through the decision process to determine which tool to employ. You may need to learn how to use a new tool or set of skills, modify how you use an existing tool, or apply what you already know how to do. [Read more…]

The Reliability Value Map. It is a thing.

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

If reliability engineering costs you money, then you are doing it wrong. But chances are that someone you work for looks at reliability engineering as a black hole of costs. This needs to stop!

Reliability engineering is about creating value. Or money. Or more missions. Or safety. But it would help if you showed how this will happen. [Read more…]

Overview of Life Testing in Minitab

podcast episode with speaker Rob Schubert

Many companies haven’t the resources to purchase much more expensive software specifically for reliability, but many have the quality software Minitab. Minitab has many reliability functions available; this presentation covers the basics, beginning with “individual distribution identification” to ensure your data fits one of the reliability models. Data is then analyzed with parametric distributions (right censoring vs arbitrary censoring). Additionally, the accelerated life testing functions are explored, focusing on interpreting the results. This is presented with practical examples for clarity. [Read more…]

What to Do About MTBF Use

podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg

While the NoMTBF movement is progressing, we still find those who want to use MTBF (or MTTF). As you know, MTxx-type metrics are means. They contain little information and are generally misunderstood and misused. So, what should a well-educated practitioner do? [Read more…]

Optimizing Servicing Intervals and Witchcraft. There actually is a difference.

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

Have you ever wondered if your servicing intervals are ‘good’? Do you know what ‘good’ is? Are you servicing too much or too little? What happens if you service too much? Do you use some basic equations in textbooks and plug in numbers that seem too simple and basic, AND you don’t understand them (all at the same time)?

If you have asked yourselves any of these questions, then this is the webinar for you. A really simple, never done this before. Please join me in the discussion on what it actually means to optimize servicing intervals. [Read more…]

Reliability Engineering versus Quality Engineering

podcast episode

I recently received a question about the differences and similarities and which discipline is better concerning reliability and quality engineering. Some say reliability is a characteristic of quality, while I say reliability is quality yet over time. [Read more…]

PDFs, CDFs, and other ‘Fs’
What the hell are they?

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

Ok. They say there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. At the heart of statistics are these intimidating functions like ‘probability density functions’ and ‘cumulative distribution functions.’

They mean something – but are practically useless unless they help inform a decision. And we, as engineers, are supposed to know what these functions mean. But have you ever sat in a meeting or presentation where you realized some gaps in your knowledge? … or perhaps you felt like you were given too many charts but not enough help to make your decision?

If you want a really easy introduction or review of these functions – then check out this webinar!
[Read more…]

How to Learn Reliability Engineering

podcast episode

It’s impossible to point to one moment, class, seminar, workshop, or conference where I learned reliability engineering. Not one situation, project, conversation, or meeting, either. Learning reliability engineering is a journey, and each is different. [Read more…]

Weibull Probability Plotting
How to learn more by just looking!

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

If you are a reliability engineer – chances are you have done a Weibull plot. You take something like failure data, put it into a piece of software, and presto! [Read more…]

3 Ways to Do Reliability Allocation

podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson

Having a reliability target for your product is excellent. But how does that help all the little design teams, who make their own decisions on all the different parts of your system?
[Read more…]

Why Reliability Engineering Is Important

podcast episode

What do you tell someone you just met when they ask, “So, what do you do?” Saying you’re a reliability engineer will likely get a polite nod or confused look. How do you explain what you do and why? Why is what we do as reliability-minded folk important? [Read more…]

How is Reliability Engineering Changing?

podcast episode

The reliability engineering discipline, like all fields of endeavor, is changing. The inclusion of risk management, the shift to proactively avoiding field failures, and the increasing use of sensors and models all make the future fascinating.
[Read more…]

3 Steps to Improve Your Reliability Culture

podcast episode

The reliability culture of an organization is about how individuals make decisions. It combines priorities & policies, behaviors & motivations, and information & capability. Understanding the current culture allows you to improve the culture.
[Read more…]

Creating Effective Reliability Graphics

podcast episode

When you ‘pass’ a standard-based test, what does that mean? How can you use test results meaningfully besides just noting the product ‘passed’? Understanding the failure mechanisms at play, along with the statistics, is key. [Read more…]