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Many engineers and managers use the words “reliability testing”, fewer people think that they provide reliability testing, but often, in fact, neither of them do it. The basic reason is: none of them understands clearly what this type of testing means and how it is different from other type of testing. The literature and practice show that professionals who use vibration testing, or thermal shock testing, or environmental testing, or HALT (HASS) [22], or other types of testing think that they provide reliability testing. Companies from a wide range of industries, both in specialization and size make this error. This paper analyzes why often the knowledge of reliability testing is so poor. As a result, the process of reliability development and improvement is often slower than it might be.

In a real life situation the product's reliability depends on many factors. Practical methodology of taking these factors into account has a common base. This paper analyzes the current situation of common problems in reliability application in different areas of industry such as automotive, aerospace, aircraft, off-highway, civil engineering, naval engineering, farm machinery, etc. The important common problems relate to the connection and interconnections of: reliability (durability, maintainability) with quality during a given time; reliability with simulation; reliability with safety; reliability with human factors; and others. This paper also demonstrates how one can solve these problems and increase reliability through the use of interdisciplinary systems of systems approach which helps to take into account the above connections and interconnections.

This paper demonstrates the results of the analysis of current situation in prediction of reliability, durability, quality, and maintainability; as well as results of development methodology and equipment for accelerated reliability testing which is a key factor in improving the current situation in the above areas. The implementation of 10 basic new concepts of this development decreases recalls, complaints, and total life-cycle cost of the product by at least 33% to 47%. This paper compares basic principles of new concepts with current ones. Practical accelerated reliability assurance for complex mobile systems and components based on multipurpose accelerated reliability testing (ART) is presented and illustrated. ART optimization and enhancement based on early reliability physics, systemic failure analysis and customized applied statistics covering various stages of R&D, manufacturing, and field service is justified and detailed.

This paper analyzes the current approaches and problems in the development of accelerated reliability testing (ART) of vehicles (components and completed product) and why in the practice ART or AT results often differ from field results. It also includes an introduction to the basic concepts of accurate ART technology: accurate simulation of all real life input influences which cause failures, simultaneously and in a combination; reproduction of the complete range of field schedules and maintenance, the proportion of heavy and light loads; not included in the test program is idle time and time with minimum loading; take into account the cumulative reaction of the product on the input influences; simulation of interconnections both between different field input influences and between components of whole machines, etc. It can be the best results of testing during the design process, but during manufacturing the reliability of a product can decrease.

This paper analyses the current approaches in the development of accelerated stress testing, and describes why present test equipment cannot provide the simulation of simultaneous combination of basic field influences on the car and car's components. The authors show a new perspective for the evalution of equipment development for accelerated testing (AT) which would eliminate the above negative aspect and solve the problem of accurate simulation of real life input influences on the natural product for its reliability improvement.

This paper demonstrates the results of the analysis of the current practical situation in product reliability and durability as well as accelerated stress testing development. High stress testing is now the basic source for obtaining initial information to provide a prediction of a product's reliability and durability. This paper shows that this testing cannot offer information for the accurate prediction of reliability and durability, because the product degradation process during the testing differs from the product degradation process during the actual field situation. As a result, the time to failures also differs.

This paper analyzes the current situation for reliability & quality (RQ), and shows that both are being solved separately, which is an obstacle for improvement of RQ of the product, that worsens the situation in the market, and, therefore, the financial situation of the companies-producers. The strategy of the proposed engineering concepts of reliability integrated with quality can eliminate the above problem. Two basic components of the strategy are shown: development of a complex quality system and useful accelerated reliability testing (UART). For development and use of UART one must first, develop and use new methodology and equipment to increase its usefulness in performance.

This paper analyzes the current situation in practical approaches for testing used for evaluation, prediction, development, and improvement of product reliability. It is shown that using practically reliability testing approaches can be: helpful, minimal or useless, and harmful. It describes when each of the above approaches can be used and why. It also describes how one can make reliability testing a useful practical tool. The strategy is shown by the examples of how one can execute this useful practical tool and improve the current situation with reliability testing.

This paper analyzes the reasons why current accelerated reliability testing (ART) results for passenger cars often cannot give accurate information for sufficient reliability, fatigue, and durability evaluation and prediction in the field. Why does accelerated testing (AT) give often minimum benefits for companies that use it? The basic principles of strategy that can help to eliminate these reasons will be described.

The paper shows the principles of the reliability accelerated testing (ART) which make it possible to reduce times and costs for the development cycles of trucks. This gives a new perspective on ART as a unified complex which gives a high correlation of results with the field results. This complex includes: laboratory testing which provides a simultaneous combination of different types of testing for simulation of real life action on the actual truck; the combination of laboratory testing with special field testing; use of the special cycles of the test program with alternation of testing with work and with storage; accelerated determination of driver's reliability influences on the truck reliability, functional changing of product during the time, etc.