Introduction

“The Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook” by Donald W. Benbow and Hugh W. Broome is an essential guide for anyone involved in enhancing the reliability of products, processes, or systems. This book provides comprehensive coverage of the principles and practices necessary for a Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE). It serves as a detailed reference to the methods and tools that are critical to ensuring that reliability considerations are integral to the design, implementation, and maintenance of products and systems. This summary will outline key points and provide actionable steps from the book with concrete examples.

Key Points:
– Reliability engineering focuses on the probability of a product performing its intended function without failure over a specified period under stated conditions.
– Basic concepts include failure rates, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time To Failure (MTTF), and reliability modeling.

Examples:
– Failure Rate: An electronic component’s failure rate can be defined based on historical data from similar components in comparable environments.

Actions:
– Data Collection: Begin by collecting data from existing products or systems to establish baseline failure rates. Use historical records, warranty reports, and field data.

Key Points:
– Reliability management encompasses the planning, organization, control, and guidance of efforts to ensure product reliability.
– It requires coordination with other engineering disciplines and management functions.

Examples:
– Reliability Planning: Developing a reliability program plan that includes goals, objectives, and tasks that align with overall project timelines.

Actions:
– Develop a Reliability Program Plan: Outline specific reliability activities, resource allocations, and timelines. Incorporate reviews and audits to ensure progress and adaptability.

Key Points:
– Statistical methods are essential to reliability engineering for analyzing and interpreting data.
– Probability distributions, such as exponential, Weibull, and log-normal, are used to model time-to-failure data.

Examples:
– Weibull Distribution: Allows for modeling different failure behaviors by adjusting the shape parameter, aiding in accurate predictions of failure times.

Actions:
– Apply Statistical Models: Use software tools to fit reliability data to the appropriate probability distribution, and use these models to predict future performance and set maintenance schedules.

Key Points:
– FMEA is a systematic method for identifying potential failure modes, determining their effects on system operation, and prioritizing actions to mitigate risks.
– Criticality analysis adds another layer by quantifying the severity of each failure mode.

Examples:
– FMEA for an Automotive Component: Analyzing a car brake system to identify failure modes such as hydraulic fluid loss or mechanical component wear and their potential impacts.

Actions:
– Conduct FMEA Workshops: Assemble cross-functional teams to perform FMEAs on critical systems or components, using pre-developed templates to ensure thoroughness.

Key Points:
– Reliability testing involves subjecting products to conditions that simulate their operational environments to identify potential failures and improve designs.
– Types of tests include accelerated life testing, burn-in testing, and environmental stress screening.

Examples:
– Accelerated Life Testing: Testing LED light bulbs at elevated voltages and temperatures to predict their lifespan under normal operating conditions.

Actions:
– Design and Execute Tests: Develop a test plan tailored to your product’s operating conditions. Use the results to identify weaknesses and drive design improvements.

Key Points:
– Integrating reliability into the design process ensures that reliability is considered at every stage, from concept to production.
– Techniques include redundancy, derating, and robust design.

Examples:
– Redundancy in Aerospace Engineering: Using multiple independent communication systems in an aircraft to ensure continued operation in case one system fails.

Actions:
– Incorporate Reliability Techniques: Apply DfR techniques such as redundancy for critical systems, and derating to prevent components from operating at their maximum stress levels.

Key Points:
– Prediction and modeling involve using established databases and models to estimate the reliability of a system or component.
– Common methods include parts count prediction and physics-of-failure modeling.

Examples:
– Parts Count Prediction: Estimating the reliability of an electronic device by summing the failure rates of its individual components based on standard reliability data.

Actions:
– Perform Reliability Predictions: Utilize commercially available reliability prediction software to estimate and improve the reliability of new designs before they go into production.

Key Points:
– Maintainability involves designing products for ease of maintenance, thereby reducing downtime.
– Availability combines reliability and maintainability to indicate the percentage of time a system is operational.

Examples:
– Modular Design: Implementing a design where failed subcomponents can be quickly swapped out, as seen in modular computer servers.

Actions:
– Implement Maintainability Features: Use design principles like standardization and modularity to simplify maintenance tasks and reduce system downtime.

Key Points:
– Continuous improvement is vital, involving feedback loops from field data to implement design changes and process improvements.
– Methods such as Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) can be employed to enhance reliability processes.

Examples:
– Six Sigma Projects: Applying Six Sigma methodologies to reduce variability and defects in the manufacturing process of microchips.

Actions:
– Initiate Improvement Projects: Utilize continuous improvement techniques like Six Sigma to systematically reduce failures and improve product reliability.

Key Points:
– Qualification tests demonstrate that a product meets its reliability requirements before full-scale production or deployment.
– These tests often follow a predefined protocol under controlled conditions.

Examples:
– Qualification of Medical Devices: Conducting a series of tests to ensure that a new pacemaker reliably performs under all specified conditions before market release.

Actions:
– Develop Qualification Protocols: Create detailed reliability qualification plans that outline the tests, procedures, and criteria for passing, ensuring that products meet desired reliability standards.

“The Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook” provides an invaluable resource for professionals dedicated to improving product reliability through structured methodologies and best practices. By capturing these essential points and their associated actions, this summary offers a guide to implementing reliability principles in real-world applications. Engaging in these activities can lead to enhanced product performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency, making the handbook an essential tool for quality control and reliability engineering.