ABSTRACT
Reliability engineering is the study of the longevity and failure of equipment. Principles of science and mathematics are applied to the investigation of how devices age and fail. The models of equipment reliability are the primary vehicle for recognizing deficiencies or opportunities to improve equipment design. The study of the reliability of an equipment design also has important economic implications for most products. Perhaps the most well-recognized system for which preventive maintenance is used to maintain product reliability is the commercial airplane. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book is devoted to the analytical portrayal and evaluation of equipment reliability and maintenance. It describes in a stepwise manner the increasingly complete models of reliability and failure. The book provides an exploration of the mathematical models that are used to portray, estimate, and evaluate device reliability and those that are used to describe, evaluate, and plan equipment service activities.
