Comprehensive Design Reliability Process for the Automotive Component Industry via the Integration of Standard Reliability Methods

This paper will focus on the process, as used at AC Rochester, of performing reliability analyses early in the design phase of automotive component development and the integration of specific techniques and methods. This methodology forms an effective tool that achieves the identification of component failure modes and mechanisms with greater confidence than any single technique and provides for the simple and direct communication of the results. In addition, our experience shows that this process provides the maximum preventive impact on the product during the design phase, thus yielding demonstrably improved reliability characteristics on the production part.

Specifically, a four-step up-front analysis process can facilitate the usefulness of various analytical techniques to the identification of product reliability problems. This process will involve the integrative use of functional and reliability block diagrams, reliability prediction analysis, fault tree analysis and FMECA's to the evaluation of a product's design reliability. The results compiled in a form of a reliability information package help the responsible product engineers understand product reliability concerns and establish a base for sensitivity analyses. The information package also helps to achieve useful data for product life cycle cost evaluation, product reliability comparative studies, and information leading to successful achievement of validation.