Design for Reliability

I originally rated this book poorly, but have since changed my mind upon a re-read. I still cannot recommend it due to the cost; however, the final chapter on Thermodynamic Reliability Engineering provides a good physical basis for the mathematical form of a wide range of descriptive reliability models dealing with failures due to stress cycling (Miner's Rule), humidity aging (Peck), corrosion, diffusion (Arrhenius), and vibration induced fatigue abased on thermodynamic principles. I think it is a chapter that every reliability engineer should read A reasonable knowledge of chemistry (reaction rates, thermodynamics, Gibb's free energy, etc.) and physics would be an asset. . The chapter in on Analytical Physics is a good, but again thin overview. The remaining chapters are just too light on substance and some sections, notably the section on step stress aging, are poorly written. The means for identifying multiple failure modes and the requirements of a consistent shape constant parameter of the statistical model characterizing the failure distribution and different stress is essentially missing. For the mathematics of reliability I would recommend Applied Reliability by Trindade and Tobias, or the NIST Engineering Statistics Handbook online.

This book is definitely a strong addition to the body of knowledge for Reliability Professionals and for any Company that wants to improve the business competitiveness by improving the product reliability. The book clearly provides the correct focus on the customer, but it also elaborates on the fact that one customer is the corporate business enterprise. The book shows the optimum sequence of DfR activities in the development phases. This book also has impressive details for the specific DfR elements. It is also an excellent resource for guidance into specific details. I like the balance of graphics with text and the graphics added excellent additional understanding. This is an outstanding Industry leader that has documented the implemented practice in this book. I did not attempt to verify every mathematical formula.