ABSTRACT
Meeting that challenge requires developing a reliability engineering team that supports the full design-development process. The reliability team performs three fundamental activities: design for reliability, reliability verification, and analytical physics. Reliability engineering with its three major activities supports a phased product development cycle called stage gate. The first real impact on reliability occurs in the stage gate 1, for it is in the idea phase where the concept of a design solution is selected, defining the ultimate reliability level that can be achieved. Reliability growth is the major focus of the evaluation phase where normally a 65 percent improvement in reliability can be achieved from the initial design point. The primary function of reliability engineering in stage gate 3 occurs toward the end of the development process. A reduction in reliability activities starts at stage gate 4. The reliability engineering activities at stage gate 5 are limited to defining the proper reliability monitoring process and techniques.
