Reliability Prediction Procedures for Mechanical Equipment

This Web Site has been established to help share ideas about predicting equipment reliability. At the Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (CDNSWC) we have developed a unique method of reviewing a mechanical design for reliability. We invite you to use our products at no charge and share your ideas on reliability estimates with us and with other users.

Recognition of reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) as vital factors in the early development of today's complex weapon systems has placed greater emphasis on the application of design analysis procedures to logistics management. An analysis of a design for RAM can identify critical failure modes and potential causes of RAM related problems early in the product development phase.

By understanding equipment behavior in the intended operating environment, any needed part improvement or redesign effort can be identified prior to the expensive test, analyze and fix phase of equipment development. The design analysis also defines spare parts requirements and allocation of logistics resources to assure that specified RAM requirements will be met in the equipment's actual operating environment.

Mechanical devices are multifunctional and designed for specific applications. They are subject to wear, fatigue, and other stress related failure mechanisms resulting in equipment degradation and need for specific maintenance. CDNSWC has developed several products that are being used to project the reliability of a new design in its intended operating environment, determine occurrence probabilities of equipment failure modes such as wear and fatigue, and establish an optimum maintenance philosophy for the equipment.

CDNSWC analysis procedures and equations consider the design parameters, environmental extremes, and operating stresses to estimate design life and reliability. This new technology permits effective tradeoffs to be performed involving system and component reliability, material strength, weight, material costs, and maintainability. These products also have application in performance monitoring systems, diagnostics, prognostics, and automated fault detection capability to reduce maintenance down time.

You may select the following product descriptions to learn more about improving design reliability:

• Handbook of Reliability Prediction Procedures for Mechanical Equipment
• Mechanical Reliability Prediction Software Package