Probabilistic Design Tools Promise Higher Levels of Initial Reliability

One of the key causes of unreliability in turbojets is the variability of the loads and strengths of structural parts. This paper discusses the development of reliability techniques in the design and test processes used in the electrical industry as a result of the low reliability of early electronic systems. The limited applicability of the traditional failure rate approach to structural problems is contrasted to the more important tools of design and evaluation that are directed toward arriving at high levels of reliability early in the development process. The techniques of anticipating the onset of field failures by careful data analysis not only relate to structural integrity but also to operating economy.