Reliability Resources for Industry

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.

- A -

Assumptions

Conclusion drawn, without logic, on observations.

Availability

The probability that a system is in its intended functional condition and therefore capable of being used in a stated environment.

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- B -

Block Diagram

Describes the elements of a system that the product comes in contact with.

Breakdown Maintenance

Run to secondary failure before initiating maintenance response.

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- C -

Challenging the Limits

The ability to question "The way things have always been done!"

Chronic Failure

A frequently occurring, low impact event that demands attention, but takes little time to restore, and almost never has a $ figure calculated for the total loss. The total losses from chronic failures far exceed the total losses from sporadic failures over the life of a system.

Condition Based Maintenance

Scheduled inspections, predictive NDT, tests, and measurements to determine whether an item is in, and will remain in, a satisfactory condition until time for the next scheduled inspection.

Critical Success Factor

A specific, measurable key result that indicates a mission has been successful. No more that eight CSF's should be identified in order to focus on the most important key result areas.

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- D -

Data Fragility

The measure of how quickly data can become distorted or disappear all together.

Defect

A characteristic which does not conform to applicable specification requirements and which adversely affects the quality of service.

Determinism

Reaction to the environment or to stimuli. Ex: oil and metal filings will cause bearing damage, a loud sharp noise will cause people to turn their head in the direction of the noise.

Discoverability

The answer to a question begs another question.

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- E -

Error/Change Phenomenon

Natures protection against catastrophic random events caused by the human being.

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- F -

Failure

Any event that impacts a system in a way that adversely affects the system criteria. For example, the criteria could include output in a sold-out condition, or maintenance cost or capital resources in a constrained budget cycle, environmental excursions or safety, etc. A failure definition should contain specific criteria and not be ambiguous. Failure definition can change on a given system over time.

Failure Mode

A particular way in which failures occur, independent of the reason for failure.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

A modified methodology to identify the modes of failure events and assigning values to them based on unit cost and frequency, then prioritizing the result in order to focus the organization on the significant few failures.

Failure Rate

The number of failures of an item per unit measurement of life. Failure rate is considered constant over the useful life period.

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- G -

GAP

Difference between what is possible to produce and what is actually being produced

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- H -

Homicide Preservation Strategy

Data collection strategy utilized when a sporadic failure occurs.

Human Root Cause

The point of inappropriate human intervention

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- I -

Inference

The result of an individual's own logic system which has some basic flaws. Ex: wear can be expected in an abrasive environment (but what about corrosion.)

Infant Mortality

The high conditional probability of failure due to manufacturing defects, design, installation, or startup procedures during the period immediately after an item enters service.

Intuition

The repository for all of our life experiences.

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- J -

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- K -

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- L -

Latent Root Cause

The lack of, or deficiency in, management systems (rules, procedures, guidelines, etc.) or restraining cultural norms that allowed the failure to occur.

Life Cycle Cost (LCC)

Total cost of a system from conception to demolition.

Logic Tree

A pictorial method to guide logic to solve problems.

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- M -

Maintainability

A measure of the ease and rapidity with which a system can be restored to operational status following a failure.

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Total operating time divided by the number of failures. MTBF is the inverse of failure rate.

Mean Time To Restore (MTTR)

Total elapsed time from initial failure to the reinitiating of system status. Mean Time To Restore includes Mean Time To Repair (MTBF + MTTR = 1.)

Mission

Defines the purpose of the analysis effort.

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- N -

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- O -

Observation Blocks

Details what is observed when failure occurs.

Opportunity

Circumstance which allows you a way to improve the status quo.

Order

The definiteness of nature; Ex: spring follows winter, night follows day.

"Out of the Box" Thinking

Going beyond conventional wisdom when trying to understand a failure.

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- P -

Paradigm

A mind-set that is universally shared by a majority of the population.

Paradigm Shift

The process of changing mind-sets to accommodate new realities.

Pareto Split

A few items within a collection of items are more significant than are the remaining majority. Also known as the 80/20 rule.

Perception

What we think we sense.

Physical Root Cause

The cause or causes that involve tangible materials.

Precision

Defines the culture of an organization that does not accept failures of any type including primary failures. The next generation of operational excellence that will replace predictive systems. The effort to achieve the limit of proactivity.

Preserving Failure Data

Collecting data at the time of a failure.

Preventive Maintenance

The care and servicing by maintenance professionals for the purpose of maintaining system reliability levels. This includes scheduled downtime maintenance.

Primary Failure

Equipment: Component defect

Process: A process variable out of acceptable limits.

Human: Restive attitudes with deficiencies in knowledge or skill.

PROACT®

A disciplined methodology used to get to the root causes of failures.

Proaction

Any activity that will improve operations, prevent mechanical, process or human failure or lessen the consequences of failure.

Problem

A deviation from the status quo or a norm.

Productivity as a Function of Reliability

Productivity = MTBF/(MTBF+MTTR)

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- Q -

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- R -

Random Many

The many deviations that occur in a manufacturing facility that overall have little impact on operations.

Reaction

A condition where the environment controls human action.

Reliability

The probability of component or system success under stated conditions for a stated period of time.

Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)

A technique for uncovering the cause of a failure by deductive reasoning down to the physical and human root(s), and then using inductive reasoning to uncover the much broader latent or organizational root(s.)

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- S -

Secondary Failure

Equipment: Equipment failure

Process: Poor quality product or poor yields

Human: Withdrawal of ability to add value to work

Significant Few

The few work items that have the biggest impact on plant activity.

Sporadic Failure

An infrequent, dramatic, time consuming, high impact event, demanding urgent attention, and almost always generating a high $ cost.

Stakeout & Homicide Preservation Strategy

Data collection strategies utilized when analyzing a chronic failure

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- T -

Top Block

The definition of the problem.

Top Box

Contains both the Top Block and Observation Blocks.

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- U -

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- V -

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- W -

Wearout

The process of attrition which results in an increase in the probability of failure rate with increasing age (time, cycles, events, etc.)

Witch Hunt

The real or perceived need for management to blame someone for system failures.

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- X -

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- Y -

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- Z -

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