Robust Design Methodology for Reliability: Exploring the Effects of Variation and Uncertainty

Based on deep theoretical as well as practical experience in Reliability and Quality Sciences, Robust Design Methodology for Reliability constructively addresses practical reliability problems. It offers a comprehensive design theory for reliability, utilizing robust design methodology and six sigma frameworks. In particular, the relation between un-reliability and variation and uncertainty is explored and reliability improvement measures in early product development stages are suggested.

Many companies today utilise design for Six Sigma (DfSS) for strategic improvement of the design process, but often without explicitly describing the reliability perspective; this book explains how reliability design can relate to and work with DfSS and illustrates this with real–world problems. The contributors advocate designing for robustness, i.e. insensitivity to variation in the early stages of product design development. Methods for rational treatment of uncertainties in model assumptions are also presented.

This book

• promotes a new approach to reliability thinking that addresses the design process and proneness to failure in the design phase via sensitivity to variation and uncertainty;
• includes contributions from both academics and industry practitioners with a broad scope of expertise, including quality science, mathematical statistics and reliability engineering;
• takes the innovative approach of promoting the study of variation and uncertainty as a basis for reliability work;
• includes case studies and illustrative examples that translate the theory into practice.

Robust Design Methodology for Reliability provides a starting point for new thinking in practical reliability improvement work that will appeal to advanced designers and reliability specialists in academia and industry including fatigue engineers, product development and process/ quality professionals, especially those interested in and/ or using the DfSS framework.

Bo Bergman has held the post of SKF professor at the Department of Quality Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden since 1999. From 1983 to 1999 he was Professor of Quality Technology and Management at Linköping University, where he was responsible for the creation of education and research in the quality field, and previous to this he held varying engineering and managerial positions in the fields of reliability, quality and statistics at Saab Aerospace. His research interests cover wide areas of quality of both a quantitative and a qualitative nature. He has authored more than 50 papers in international scientific journals and has authored and co-authored a number of books ― including new, completely revised English versions of Quality from Customer Needs to Customer Satisfaction and Six Sigma; the Pragmatic Approach.

Jacques Demaré has held the post of Professor of Mathematical Statistics at Chalmers University of Technology since 1999. The focus of his work has been on both chemical and mechanical applications and he is currently working with statistical methods for material fatigue in co-operation with the Swedish National Testing and Research Institute. At Chalmers he has also worked in different ways to bring the mathematical and engineering disciplines closer together.

Thomas Svensson is a research engineer at the Technical Research Institute of Sweden (SP). He obtained his PhD in Fatigue Life Prediction in Service ― A Statistical Approach in 1996, and is a member of the editorial board of Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures.