What is reliability analysis?
Reliability analysis includes a complex of procedures related to quantitative assessments of developed product at every stage of its life cycle.
Reliability analysis includes reliability calculations performed at the stages of preliminary design and detailed design, failure data analysis based on the results of special and operational tests as well as data received from a customer/user. Performing quantitative assessments of different aspects of maintenance, including spare supply, is often a part of reliability analysis.
Based on reliability analysis, product developers and manufacturers can take real efforts to improve reliability and maintenance quality.
At the preliminary design stage, reliability analysis includes:
1. Selecting product reliability indexes that specify this product
2. Assigning quantitative reliability standards (requirements)
3. Developing a preliminary mathematical model to describe product operation
4. Performing quantitative calculations to verify a compliance with product reliability requirements
Following the results of the 1st phase of reliability analysis, the developer carries out necessary changes in component selection; modifying system structure (adding necessary backup, for example) and operational procedures (e.g. use of continuous/intermittent availability monitoring).
At the stage of detailed design, reliability analysis includes:
1. Implementing all recommendations for improving reliability, obtained as results of reliability analysis at the previous stage, as design solutions
2. Developing a detailed mathematical model of the system thet incorporates statistical reliability data for applied components
3. Calculating frequency of preventive actions and optimal spare parts provisioning
After building of an experimental model, reliability determination tests are performed to verify results of reliability analysis calculations. Depending on results of reliability tests, necessary efforts are undertaken to improve reliability and carry out maintenance and repair works.
At the stage of experimental operation, the following steps must be performed:
1. detailed analysis of system operation
2. additional reliability analysis based on statistical data obtained due to final adjustment of design and engineering solutions before serial production
During field operation of a product by its customer/user, the system of statistical reliability data collection should be established (this requirement is mandatory for any military-oriented system). These data together with the claims received from operational sites, are used by system developers to perform current reliability analysis, resulting in new recommendations for maintenance optimization.
On the basis of such reliability analysis the developer generates the requirements for the following system modification and modernization if necessary.
Reliability Analysis Software
ALD provides world leading Reliability Analysis Software with the following capabilities:
• Primary reliability prediction using more than 30 reliability prediction standards/models from MIL-HDBK-217 to FIDES and 217Plus. Failure Rate and MTBF calculation for different operating and non-operating environments and temperatures.
• Pareto Analysis used to find components with highest contribution to system MTBF.
• Temperature Curve analysis to examine temperature influence on system reliability, compare results for different subsystems and environments.
• Mission profile analysis used to analyze system reliability during complex missions composed from different mission phases, with specific conditions and duration for each phase.
• Reliability Block Diagram module used to model system with different redundancy configurations (serial, parallel, K-out-of-N) and to calculate MTBCF (mean time between critical failures).
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