Reliability Engineering

Technical reliability is closely linked to the functionality of a product over its service life. If a product fulfills its functions at all times and under all conditions, it is said to be a very reliable product. Technical reliability is therefore the probability that a product will not fail during a defined period of time under given functional and environmental conditions. The Institute of Machine Elements has been researching methods of technical reliability for 30 years now. Using appropriate reliability analyses, product reliability is predicted, existing weak points are identified and, if necessary, comparative studies are carried out. Quantitative, i.e. stochastic or qualitative methods of risk management [link to FMEA page] can be used. The quantitative methods use terms and procedures from statistics and probability theory. This is necessary due to the stochastic nature of service life. This is evident from the considerable scattering of failure times, e.g. from service life tests or damage statistics. The corresponding knowledge of a valid evaluation of service life data is essential in order to avoid incorrect reliability forecasts. Statistical methods are constantly being further developed in order to make improved predictions with limited data and to achieve efficient reliability standards.