#106 – DECISION FOCUS AND VALUE IN A RELIABILITY PROGRAM – FRED SCHENKELBERG

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ABC FredAn essential element of any successful reliability program is the notion that all reliability activity relates to decisions. If you are performing a highly accelerated life test (HALT) only because it is listed on the product development guidelines or because it was carried over from the last program’s plan, and the HALT results are not part of the design improvement decision-making process, then you probably should not be doing so. Continue reading

#105 – INFLUENCE AND RELIABILITY – FRED SCHENKELBERG

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ABC FredReliability professionals today face a challenge. Engineering and operations staff members are taught to think for themselves, to make decisions, to get things done. The entire staff is highly educated, motivated, and willing to lead a team or organization to results. Continue reading

#103 – RELIABLE LEARNING – FRED SCHENKELBERG

ABC FredOne of the best things about reliability engineering is the never-ending opportunity to learn. As a reliability engineer I work with materials, assembly processes, and people, creating and maintaining products, machines, and systems. Other engineering disciplines tend to focus on one aspect of a design or process. Continue reading

#102 – RELIABILITY PROGRAM OF ONE – FRED SCHENKELBERG

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A few years ago, having been invited to evaluate reliability practices within a company, I conducted a series of interviews with various staff members. When asked any question on the reliability techniques used, members of the engineering, procurement, operations, and quality departments all responded with nearly the same comment:

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#101 – RELIABILITY AS A PROCESS – FRED SCHENKELBERG

ABC FredA product reliability program is a process. Like any process, it has inputs and outputs, generally some form of an objective, and feedback. Furthermore, the process may or may not be controlled or even exist as a formalized part of the organization. Reliability may just happen—for good or bad. Results may or may not be known or understood. Continue reading