Relative reliability risk assessment applied to original designs during conceptual design phase

Mamtani, G., Green, G. and McDonald, S. (2006) Relative reliability risk assessment applied to original designs during conceptual design phase. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 220(6), pp. 917-927. (doi: 10.1243/09544054JEM155)

Abstract

Systematic evaluations of concept designs involve consideration of a range of criteria. Interaction with industry supports the view that reliability is a major criterion during product design. Although there are a few methods to predict reliability in the initial phases of design most of them are only applicable to adaptive designs. In this paper, we introduce the concept of relative reliability risk assessment for original designs, where information availability is less, to calculate reliability. We consider the function structures of the product under consideration and apply the analytic hierarchy process using verbal assessments for relative measurements. The weight assigning technique used is the entropy method. A final value of R ³ 1 (Relative Reliability Risk Index) is calculated and the idea of concept functionality graphs is presented. This method is applied on the example of seat suspensions for an off highway vehicle and the results are discussed. The findings help sort out the concepts that are relatively strong in terms of reliability.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Permission granted by the Council of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
• Keywords: reliability, concept design
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Green, Dr Graham
• Authors: Mamtani, G., Green, G., and McDonald, S.
• Subjects: T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture
• Publisher: Professional Engineering Publishing
• ISSN: 0954-4054
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2006 Professional Engineering Publishing
• First Published: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the publisher