Dealing with Reliability Related Uncertainty

Dealing with Reliability Related Uncertainty

Uncertainty is another word for risk. Reliability uncertainty or risk is neither good nor bad, it just a bit unknown. Until we know the outcome, the eventual reliability performance, we will not know the impact.

So, how do we deal with reliability uncertainty? Will our product or system work as expected over time, or will it fail? Let’s examine a few of the common approaches in use and when and why the approach is effective.

Understand the risks

As with any engineering challenge, we first need to recognize the problem is a challenge. We need to be aware of what we know and what we do not know. What aspects of our chosen material, fastener, component, etc. are going to behave in unexpected ways for our particular design and set of loads?

For example, we may have a new resistor component. It has a novel material not commonly used as the active element of a resistor. It is inexpensive, small, and has very little variability from one resistor to another when manufactured. What else should we know about this new component?

A quick brainstorm may reveal a set of questions worth exploring before adopting the new component. How will the device respond to the…