Reliability Growth

Reliability growth deals with the improvement of the reliability of a product or design over time. Growth takes place as we learn the deficiencies of the system and eliminate or mitigate them.

In order to implement growth we need to accurately see and analyze the deficiencies. The deficiencies can manifest either as failures in the field or as testing results. Either way, it is essential that we collect all data and analyze it fully.

Reliability Growth Testing (RGT) is planned so as to provide the information needed to implement a Reliability Growth Program. The analysis of the RGT requires that we properly record the following elements on every failure:

1. Failure diagnosis: what were the symptoms
2. Failure conditions: what were the conditions under which the test was taken and the failure occurred (environment, load etc)
3. The effects of the failure in test
4. The effects of the failure in actual use (there may be more than one probable consequence)

A well designed FRACAS program applied to the testing phase will accurately record all this data  and will allow us to answer the following questions:

• What is the failure mechanism?
• What is the probability of the failure taking place during actual use (depending on conditions and usage/mission profiles)
• What is the corrective action required?
• What is the anticipated reliability growth if the above corrective action is implemented?