Reliability, Quality, and Safety for Engineers

Due to global competition, safety regulations, and other factors, manufacturers are increasingly pressed to create products that are safe, highly reliable, and of high quality. Engineers and quality assurance professionals need a cross-disciplinary understanding of these topics in order to ensure high standards in the design and manufacturing processes. Reliability, Quality, and Safety for Engineers is the first publication to integrate this information in a single source. The text begins with an introduction that discusses the need for reliability, quality and safety as well as historical information, terms, and definitions. Subsequent chapters discuss relevant mathematics, evaluation models and methods, testing, management, and costing. The author treats each topic in a comprehensive manner that requires no prior knowledge of the subject in order to understand the contents. The author includes numerous examples, problems, and solutions to test the reader's comprehension. He also lists important journals, organizations, standards, and books for further study, creating a comprehensive resource for design, system, safety and manufacturing engineers as well as reliability specialists and quality assurance professionals.

Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION Need for Reliability, Quality, and Safety History Terms and Definitions Useful Information on Reliability, Quality, and Safety Problems RELIABILITY, QUALITY, AND SAFETY MATHEMATICS Introduction Mode, Median, Range, Arithmetic Mean, Root Mean Square, Mean Deviation, and Standard Deviation Boolean Algebra Laws Probability Definition and Properties Useful Mathematical Definitions Solving First Order Differential Equations with Laplace Transforms Statistical Distributions Problems INTRODUCTION TO RELIABILITY Need for Reliability Bathtub Hazard Rate Curve General and Specific Hazard Rate Functions General and Specific Reliability Functions Mean Time to Failure Failure Rate Estimation Failure Data Collection, Sources, and Failure Rates for Selected Items Problems STATIC RELIABILITY EVALUATION MODELS Introduction Series Network Parallel Network k-Out-of-m Network Series-Parallel Network Parallel-Series Network Bridge Network Problems DYNAMIC RELIABILITY EVALUATION MODELS Introduction Series Network Parallel Network k-Out-of-m Network Series-Parallel Network Parallel-Series Network Standby System Bridge Network Problems RELIABILITY EVALUATION METHODS Introduction Network Reduction Method Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Method Markov Method Decomposition Method Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) Method Common Cause Failure Analysis Method Problems RELIABILITY TESTING Introduction Types of Reliability Testing Tests for Determining the Validity of an Item's Exponentially Distributed Times to Failure Confidence Limit Estimation on Mean Item Life Economics of Testing Problems RELIABLITY MANAGEMENT AND COSTING Introduction General Management Reliability Program-Related Responsibilities and Guiding Force Associated Facts for an Effective Reliability Program An Approach for Developing Reliability Goals and Useful Guidelines for Developing Reliability Programs Reliability Engineering Department Responsibilities and Tasks of a Reliability Engineer Reliability Cost Reliability Activity Cost Estimation Models Problems INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY Introduction Comparisons of Modern and Traditional Products, Direct Factors Influencing the Quality of Product and Services, and Quality Design Characteristics Quality Goals Quality Assurance System Elements Design for Quality Total Quality Management (TQM) Problems QUALITY ANALYSIS METHODS Introduction Quality Control Charts Pareto Diagram Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Scatter Diagram Cause-and-Effect Diagram Hoshin Kanri Design of Experiments (DOE) Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) Problems QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND COSTING Introduction Upper and Middle Management Quality-Related Roles Quality Control Engineering Functions and Quality-Related Responsibilities Among Various Organizational Groups Steps for Planning the Quality Control Organizational Structure and Quality Control Organizational Methods Quality Manager Attributes, Functions, and Reasons for Failure Quality Control Manual and Quality Auditing Procurement Quality Control Quality Costs Quality Cost Indexes Problems INTRODUCTION TO SAFETY Need for Safety Safety-Related Facts and Figures Engineers and Safety Product Hazard Classifications and Common Mechanical Injuries Statute, Common, Administrative, and Liability Laws and Product Liability Workers' Compensation Problems SAFETY ANALYSIS METHODS Introduction Cause and Effect Diagram (CAED) Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Control Charts Markov Method Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) Hazards and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) Technic of Operations Review (TOR) Interface Safety Analysis (ISA) Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Safety Indexes Problems SAFETY MANAGEMENT AND COSTING Introduction Safety Management Principles and Developing a Safety Program Plan Safety Department Functions Functions and Qualifications of Safety Professionals Safety Committees and Motivating Employees to Work Safely A Manufacturer's Losses or Cost due to an Accident Involving its Product Safety Cost Estimation Methods and Models Safety Cost Indexes Problems ROBOT, SOFTWARE, AND MEDICAL DEVICE SAFETY Introduction Robot Safety Software Safety Medical Device Safety Problems