Why We Have Problems with Effective Reliability Testing Performance? 2007-01-1769

Many engineers and managers use the words “reliability testing”, fewer people think that they provide reliability testing, but often, in fact, neither of them do it. The basic reason is: none of them understands clearly what this type of testing means and how it is different from other type of testing. The literature and practice show that professionals who use vibration testing, or thermal shock testing, or environmental testing, or HALT (HASS) [22], or other types of testing think that they provide reliability testing. Companies from a wide range of industries, both in specialization and size make this error. This paper analyzes why often the knowledge of reliability testing is so poor. As a result, the process of reliability development and improvement is often slower than it might be. For elimination of these problems, this paper will consider why it is done this way, why professionals in industrial, including automotive, companies often cannot improve this situation, even when they know how it is possible to do it. This paper considers why one has problems with effective reliability testing performance: analyzes the current situation; considers the two basic types of reliability testing; considers when the level of reliability testing is harmful, when is useful; describes basic steps of effective reliability testing; what is needed for providing this type of testing; how one can perform them.