ABSTRACT
In order to conclude the study of reliability and maintenance planning models, this chapter examines some special topics that build upon the topics treated in this book. It examines the idea of reliability growth. The chapter presents the development of statistical methods that can be applied to failure data for repairable systems. It considers reliability models for dependent components and explores the construction and use of bivariate and multivariate reliability models. An important element of the enhancement of the product design and manufacturing process formulation is an increase in the reliability of the product. The general context within which reliability growth is observed is the test-analyze-and-fix process in which observed failures lead to redesign and product reliability is gradually improved. The idea is that the observed failure points to failure modes that result from design flaws or manufacturing errors that can be eliminated.
