Reliability: Modeling, Prediction, and Optimization

CHAPTER 2

Illustrative Cases and Data Sets

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this chapter is to present a sample of real-life cases, each of which deals with problems involving one or more aspects of reliability and which collectively span a number of different types of applications. This is done by describing, where possible, the management and engineering objectives of the study and presenting a set of data on which the relevant decisions will be based, at least in part. In some instances, these objectives may not be known in detail or at all; here the interest is only in the reliability aspects of the problem.

These cases and the accompanying data will be used to illustrate many of the concepts and analyses to be presented in subsequent chapters. The goals are therefore both to motivate the reader and to provide a data-based foundation for the reliability analyses to follow. In addition, some of cases will be revisited a number of times as we progress through increasingly complex models and analytical techniques, and will thereby provide a unifying theme.

Most readers should find some data sets of interest in the collection selected for this volume. The breadth of applications of reliability should also become apparent: cases range from consumer goods to heavy industry, medical appliances, aerospace, and electronics. Later analyses will be undertaken at the part level, the level of simple components, subsystems, and so forth, and range to the level of complex systems. In the final ...