A Reliability-Program Case-History on Design Review

This paper summarizes the investigative results of actual design reviews as an important part of reliability program, and describes several reliability engineering efforts to achieve an effective design review. Design data packages (design documentation) which indicate the basic design program and design process are important in design reviews, When attention is concentrated on a data package, the ability of the reviewers is heightened and the results of the review are enhanced. When the design review is concerned with product reliability, then the availability and quality of: 1) a data package with established reliability level objectives and predictions, 2) a Failure Mode Effect Analysis and a Fault Tree Analysis, and 3) other data packages on product reliability and related technology or engineering, all greatly influence the results of the review. The potential weak points in a design can be revealed by over-stress tests and the results of such tests are very useful in the reliability design review. The improved design which can withstand the adequate over-stress tests appreciably lessened customer complaints about reliability.