Publisher's Synopsis
Our life is powerfully influenced by the reliability of the things we use, along with the processes and services. Failures cause losses in the industry and society. Reliability, in general, is the ability of an object (or process or service) to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications under given conditions. The specifications (i.e. technical parameters) must be written in the accompanying technical documentation. The conditions of use must also be specified, for example, the temperature range, in which the object will keep the assumed parameters. Reliable operation is interrupted or terminated by failures. Failure is an event leading to the loss of the ability to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications. The analysis of failures is very important for revealing the cause of a particular failure, for taking appropriate measures to avoid similar failures in the future, and for improving similar products or processes. Historically, failure analysis has also contributed to the creation of new disciplines of mechanics and other branches, and to the better design and reliability of many products. Examples are fracture of a component due to overloading or fatigue, collapse of a structure, loss of electric contact, unacceptable deformations or wear, or some parameters out of the allowable limits. Reliability is a component of quality. Quality is the ability of a product or service to ensure full customer satisfaction. The quality of an object can be judged with respect to several criteria, such as power, maximum speed, noise, fuel consumption, and color. Examples of quality in services are the possibility to provide quick connection to the Internet or to keep the timetable of trains or buses. Reliability, in essence, is the ability to keep the quality with time. Nobody would say that a car is of good quality if it fails repeatedly during a short time. Methods for reliability assessment and optimization are thus very important. This book explains the fundamental concepts and tools of reliability and quality. It is a compilation with references and a list of standards, software and sources of information on reliability. Due to big importance, reliability issues are covered by many standards, which provide well-tested procedures and design values. The standards are the result of cooperation of many experts from various countries and contribute worldwide to the high level of quality, reliability, and safety of products and services and to the reduction of failures and accidents. Standards also facilitate legal disputes related to the compensation of various damages. In some cases, the use of standards is compulsory, but sometimes it is a matter of agreement between the supplier and the customer. However, competition among many manufacturers leads to high emphasis on quality and reliability so that the use of pertinent standards gradually becomes the norm. Generally, standards offer safe rules and values, though somewhat conservative, so that they are also updated from time to time, with respect to new information or methods. Our life is powerfully influenced by the reliability of the things we use, along with the processes and services. Failures cause losses in the industry and society. Reliability, in general, is the ability of an object (or process or service) to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications under given conditions. The specifications (i.e. technical parameters) must be written in the accompanying technical documentation. The conditions of use must also be specified, for example, the temperature range, in which the object will keep the assumed parameters. Reliable operation is interrupted or terminated by failures. Failure is an event leading to the loss of the ability to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications. The analysis of failures is very important for revealing the cause of a particular failure, for taking appropriate measures to avoid similar failures in the future, and for improving similar products or processes. Historically, failure analysis has also contributed to the creation of new disciplines of mechanics and other branches, and to the better design and reliability of many products. Examples are fracture of a component due to overloading or fatigue, collapse of a structure, loss of electric contact, unacceptable deformations or wear, or some parameters out of the allowable limits. Reliability is a component of quality. Quality is the ability of a product or service to ensure full customer satisfaction. The quality of an object can be judged with respect to several criteria, such as power, maximum speed, noise, fuel consumption, and color. Examples of quality in services are the possibility to provide quick connection to the Internet or to keep the timetable of trains or buses. Reliability, in essence, is the ability to keep the quality with time. Nobody would say that a car is of good quality if it fails repeatedly during a short time. Methods for reliability assessment and optimization are thus very important. This book explains the fundamental concepts and tools of reliability and quality. It is a compilation with references and a list of standards, software and sources of information on reliability. Due to big importance, reliability issues are covered by many standards, which provide well-tested procedures and design values. The standards are the result of cooperation of many experts from various countries and contribute worldwide to the high level of quality, reliability, and safety of products and services and to the reduction of failures and accidents. Standards also facilitate legal disputes related to the compensation of various damages. In some cases, the use of standards is compulsory, but sometimes it is a matter of agreement between the supplier and the customer. However, competition among many manufacturers leads to high emphasis on quality and reliability so that the use of pertinent standards gradually becomes the norm. Generally, standards offer safe rules and values, though somewhat conservative, so that they are also updated from time to time, with respect to new information or methods. Our life is powerfully influenced by the reliability of the things we use, along with the processes and services. Failures cause losses in the industry and society. Reliability, in general, is the ability of an object (or process or service) to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications under given conditions. The specifications (i.e. technical parameters) must be written in the accompanying technical documentation. The conditions of use must also be specified, for example, the temperature range, in which the object will keep the assumed parameters. Reliable operation is interrupted or terminated by failures. Failure is an event leading to the loss of the ability to fulfil the demanded tasks and meet the specifications. The analysis of failures is very important for revealing the cause of a particular failure, for taking appropriate measures to avoid similar failures in the future, and for improving similar products or processes. Historically, failure analysis has also contributed to the creation of new disciplines of mechanics and other branches, and to the better design and reliability of many products. Examples are fracture of a component due to overloading or fatigue, collapse of a structure, loss of electric contact, unacceptable deformations or wear, or some parameters out of the allowable limits. Reliability is a component of quality. Quality is the ability of a product or service to ensure full customer satisfaction. The quality of an object can be judged with respect to several criteria, such as power, maximum speed, noise, fuel consumption, and color. Examples of quality in services are the possibility to provide quick connection to the Internet or to keep the timetable of trains or buses. Reliability, in essence, is the ability to keep the quality with time. Nobody would say that a car is of good quality if it fails repeatedly during a short time. Methods for reliability assessment and optimization are thus very important. This book explains the fundamental concepts and tools of reliability and quality. It is a compilation with references and a list of standards, software and sources of information on reliability. Due to big importance, reliability issues are covered by many standards, which provide well-tested procedures and design values. The standards are the result of cooperation of many experts from various countries and contribute worldwide to the high level of quality, reliability, and safety of products and services and to the reduction of failures and accidents. Standards also facilitate legal disputes related to the compensation of various damages. In some cases, the use of standards is compulsory, but sometimes it is a matter of agreement between the supplier and the customer. However, competition among many manufacturers leads to high emphasis on quality and reliability so that the use of pertinent standards gradually becomes the norm. Generally, standards offer safe rules and values, though somewhat conservative, so that they are also updated from time to time, with respect to new information or methods.
