Certain “things” and their failure calculations
No product or service lasts forever, but how do we determine or project when a particular item may fail and why is this important?
Watch the following video for ideas regarding certain “things” and their failure calculations:
Relate these concepts to your work experience and provide an example of a product or service that the company sold or supported. How did they calculate failure rates?
Sample Answer
There are a number of ways to determine or project when a particular item may fail. One way is to use failure rate data. Failure rate data is collected from a large number of items of the same type and used to estimate the probability that a particular item will fail within a certain period of time.
Another way to project when an item may fail is to use stress testing. Stress testing involves subjecting an item to a series of tests that simulate the stresses that it will experience in its normal use. By monitoring the item’s performance under stress, engineers can identify any potential weak points or areas of concern.