Reliability Engineering Advances

Reliability engineering is an engineering field, that deals with the study of reliability: the ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time. It is often reported in terms of a probability. Reliability may be defined in several ways: The idea that something is fit for purpose with respect to time; The capacity of a device or system to perform as designed; The resistance to failure of a device or system; The ability of a device or system to perform a required function under stated conditions for a specified period of time; The probability that a functional unit will perform its required function for a specified interval under stated conditions. The ability of something to "fail well" (fail without catastrophic consequences) Reliability engineers rely heavily on statistics, probability theory, and reliability theory. Many engineering techniques are used in reliability engineering, such as reliability prediction, Weibull analysis, thermal management, reliability testing and accelerated life testing. Because of the large number of reliability techniques, their expense, and the varying degrees of reliability required for different situations, most projects develop a reliability program plan to specify the reliability tasks that will be performed for that specific system. The function of reliability engineering is to develop the reliability requirements for the product, establish an adequate reliability program, and perform appropriate analyses and tasks to ensure the product will meet its requirements. This book presents the latest research in the field.