Definition General Info Policies Guides Communities Training Related
Definition
Reliability Enhancement or reliability growth is the improvement in a reliability parameter over a period of time due to changes in product design or the manufacturing process.
General/Information/Narrative
Initial prototypes of complex weapon systems will have reliability and performance deficiencies that generally could not be foreseen and eliminated in the early design stages. To uncover and mitigate these deficiencies, early prototypes and later more mature units are subjected to a series of developmental and operational tests. The tests are specifically designed to expose the system components to the range of stresses that they are expected to encounter during the weapon’s life-cycle. Failures are analyzed, corrective actions are implemented, and modifications are tested to verify the effectiveness of the corrective actions. This development approach has been referred to as the test-analyze-fix-test (TAFT) procedure. In such a fashion one attempts to increase, or grow, the reliability of the prototypes to the stated requirement reliability, and the process is often referred to as a reliability growth program.
During the operations and support phase, reliability enhancement continues as previously hidden failure modes are uncovered during the operation of the system. Modification to the design or manufacturing of the hardware reduces the occurrence and severity of these failures and increases the overall reliability of the system.
Reliability growth management is the systematic planning for reliability achievement as a function of time and other resources, and controlling the ongoing rate of achievement by reallocation of these resources based on comparisons between planned and assessed reliability values.
Policies, Directives, Regulations, Laws
Best Practices, Lessons Learned, Stories, Guides, Handbooks, Templates, Example Tools, Communities of Practice, LEC Tools
DOD Guide for Achieving Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability http://www.acq.osd.mil/se/docs/RAM_Guide_080305.pdf
U.S. Army Materiel Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) Visual Growth Reliability Growth Software: uses a reliability growth model that employs the Weibull intensity function to model reliability growth during a development test phase. It can be used to predict and track reliability enhancement. Distribution of the Visual Growth software suite is restricted to U.S. Government organizations and their contractors. You can request a copy at the following web address: http://www.amsaa.army.mil/ReliabilityTechnology/VGRequest.htm.
Training Resources
Related Articles
Required for:
Responsible Activity:
Reliability Enhancement or reliability growth is the improvement in a reliability parameter over a period of time due to changes in product design or the manufacturing process.
GENERAL INFORMATION/NARRATIVE
It occurs by surfacing failure modes and implementing effective corrective actions.
POLICIES, DIRECTIVES, REGULATIONS, LAWS
BEST PRACTICES, LESSONS LEARNED, STORIES, GUIDES, HANDBOOKS, TEMPLATES, EXAMPLES, TOOLS
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
TRAINING RESOURCES
RELATED ARTICLES
Definition General Info Policies Guides Communities Training Related